Justice Department to investigate Kentucky’s juvenile jails after use of force, isolation complaints

By BRUCE SCHREINER and DYLAN LOVAN
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice says it will investigate conditions in Kentucky’s youth detention centers. The federal probe follows a state auditor’s report that says Kentucky’s juvenile justice system has problems with the use of force and isolation techniques. In January, two teenage girl alleged in a lawsuit that they were held in isolated and unsanitary conditions for weeks at one county facility. The investigation will examine whether state officials protect the facilities’ juveniles from excessive force, prolonged isolation and violence and sexual abuse.