♪ >> It's difficult for the youths who are there supposedly to get reform.

It's very difficult for the employees.

>> The governor and state lawmakers say the juvenile justice system needs reform.

A reporter tells us about the problem.

Frankfort has some new faces.

Meet 3 new members of the Kentucky General Assembly.

>> Social Studies is all about creating arguments and taking action for the week and have ready citizens for them Honest.

>> And lessons and social studies are always out of the book how Kentucky students are learning the democratic process by getting on their own soap box.

>> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET meant for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Thursday.

January 19th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending part of your evening with us.

>> More changes are on the way to Kentucky's juvenile justice system a few weeks ago.

Governor Andy Beshear announced plans to separate male and female juvenile offenders and state facilities and offenders would be separated based on the severity of their crimes.

Today the governor announced more pay and more defensive equipment for workers in juvenile justice centers.

>> So first today I'm announcing that we are raising the starting salary of djj workers in detention centers to $50,000 annually.

We're ensuring that youth workers in detention centers well now be reclassified as correctional officers and that will help in that race.

We can make that raise work under our current budget.

But in part, that's because of our vacancies.

So we will be asking for help from the General Assembly moving forward to meet the staffing levels that we have to meet in the future.

And we need that salary to get there.

So we will need help from the General Assembly as we amplify our staff and hire more.

But our hope is that this will improve retention help in the short term and hiring and get us on the path.

It's alternately having the staffing that is needed in these facilities for the first time.

It key for the first time in Kentucky were making defensive equipment available to D J J's Youth workers who before now have had no equipment with which to defend themselves.

Or to defend youths when attacked.

>> These moves come after stories about riots and assaults in recent months.

The Lexington Herald-Leader is John Cheese has written some in-depth stories about Kentucky's do Bunnell justice situation.

He joined our Casey Parker Bell to discuss the fear employees and use in the juvenile justice facilities have the government's response and what still needs to be done.

>> John, you've been doing a lot of reporting on the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice.

You talk about assault, sexual fences, riots, but what is it really like for the people working and being housed in these facilities right now?

It's extraordinarily difficult.

So the Department of Juvenile Justice has got a couple dozen facilities around the state where they hold youths ages 11 through 17.

There have been charged with an offense or who have been sentenced by the court to serve some time for an offense and for the last 20 years, the Department of Juvenile Justice has been running its facilities.

With problems going on under multiple governors.

But they've really been coming to a since the pandemic with a lack of staffing.

You've got sometimes only 2 or 3 people on the youth workers, the security officers are exposed to keeping the kids safe.

If you got youths who have been locked in a so-called lockdown and isolation for long periods of time, not because they necessarily did something wrong, but because it's easier to control them that way.

When there's not enough staff to KET an eye on them.

And not surprisingly, when you do that, the they sort of explode after a while.

You just can't do that to people.

It's difficult for the youths who are there supposedly to get reformed.

It's very difficult for the employees for a long time or getting 25 to 30,000 a year, the Bush administration has given them raises.

So now they're making 35 to 40,000 here to start, which is better.

But it still might have goodness, Ali, to attract most people to the job.

You could.

You talk to some of the specific instances that have kind of brought this issue to a head over the past few months.

There are so many, but the biggest one, we've got to get the some of which the Department of Juvenile Justice disclosed some of which they did not disclose and only came out when when I and other found out about them and wrote about in our newspapers, which is unfortunate, the youths often break loose out of their cells.

Take control for a Get a hold of keys from the youth workers open doors to let their, you know, their neighbors out the run while gun rampage do destruction.

There was a terrible ride in November at the Adair County, a youth detention center.

A young woman was sexually assaulted.

People were taken to the hospital to be treated for their injuries.

That really gets people's attention.

What is being done right now to improve the situation in these facilities?

Well, Governor Beshear announced a plan toward the end of last year to change how the youths are housed.

So until then, it was done on a geographic basis.

If you got in trouble in in Lexington, you went to the Residential a center and if you are in Central Kentucky got sent to the Fayette, the residential center in Lexington, regardless of the severity of your offense.

If you were charged with shooting somebody, whether you're charged with a very minor offense, like a vigil, truancy.

So you're lumping everyone together for the more they're putting the boys and the girls that together, they might have been in separate wings, but they are in the same building.

And as we saw from the sexual assault in that was disastrous.

Governor Beshear and a lot of people at, but this is long overdue was let's move them around the most severe cases will go to these residential centers.

The least severe cases will go to the centers.

The girls will go to their entirely on detention center up in Campbell County.

And will segregate them from the boys.

So that part has been done.

Do we have any sense whether these changes actually improved the system yet?

Well, the changes in housing and it's too early to say that's just that's just starting increasing the pay.

I haven't really seen it Maybe some state official can correct me been over and over.

I've both in the reports from the administrators and what I've heard in the employees, they're still just hugely understaffed.

And it's a given that they're anywhere near meeting the ratios they need from staff to 2 youths to to be safe during the day during the night to KET an eye on things.

The staff feel overwhelmed.

I've spoken to personnel have spoken to medical personnel who say they just don't feel safe in these facilities.

And these are the grownups.

So imagine how the youths probably feel.

You've done extensive reporting on this.

So from your reporting, what do you think would help improve the system?

Even more money?

I know everyone says you shouldn't just throw money at a problem, but so much of state government over the last 25 years has been underfunded.

So many state employees have seen their paychecks shrink compared to the rest of society.

And obviously 35 to $40,000 a year for a starting salary is not enough to get people to apply for a job at a juvenile Justice Center.

And I'm sure that the same is true for adult corrections of the state prisons.

They have a similar issue, but we're discussing this right now.

It might be 50,000 might be 60,000 year.

I don't know what it's going to have to be.

Justice Department tells us they're having job fairs.

They're advertising these positions.

They're begging people to come work for them.

And almost nobody is applying for the job.

So clearly the marketplace has spoken and it said for the current wages, people don't want the job.

I can tell makers have taken note of these problems at a party asked the executive branch about them.

But can we anticipate that they will do anything in this legislative session to address juvenile justice?

We do know the the the several lawmakers have filed legislation or said they're going to they're going to have an oversight committee.

KET a closer eye on the facilities.

We might see more work to create an ombudsman.

We might see some more work to pry information loose.

That has been a big issues over the last 2 years.

I've been reporting on juvenile justice.

Djj does not want to release information about what happens in these centers.

The Commissioner Vicki Reed does not want to talk about it.

They will reluctantly come to legislative committees to testify, but they don't want to talk to reporters again.

We often don't find out about rides until months after they happen.

Unless you happen to be there and see the state police come screaming in there does need to be some independent oversight of what happens at these facilities because clearly the the agency is not policing itself very well.

>> This is such an important topic.

We're going to talk about it Monday night on Kentucky tonight.

And among our panelists, some members of the Kentucky General Assembly from both sides of the political aisle who are working on this.

And we want to hear your questions.

So join us for that discussion.

This coming Monday night at 8 Eastern 7 central.

>> Right here on KET.

More fallout today from a Republican Party event in Bowling Green.

As we told you Tuesday, Ryan Corals, a candidate for governor, postponed in a parents before the Republican Women's Club of South Central Kentucky because former Louisville Police Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly was also scheduled to speak Mattingly, as you'll recall, was involved in the deadly Breonna Taylor raid.

The NAACP of Bowling Green says the event was moved to add as Greek restaurant where Mattingly used video and audio equipment to discuss the Breonna Taylor case and the NAACP says other prey patrons, including some patrons of color may have been subjected to threatening and inappropriate behavior.

Chapter President Ryan Dearborn sent out a statement saying, quote, It is beyond reprehensible to subject anyone let alone children and customers of African-American descent to such indecent exposure, graphic and upsetting images while there are attempting to enjoy their meal.

Such disturbing occurrences must not be tolerated, especially and places of public accommodation, unquote.

Turning now to some more politics for the next several weeks.

We're all going to KET introducing you to some new members of the Kentucky General Assembly.

Tonight, you'll meet 3 House Democrats who share why they ran for office to begin with and what they hope to accomplish.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> I'm Daniel Gross Bird Representative of District 30 and Central Jefferson County.

I've been in politics for a long time, but I've never worked in the legislature.

And of course, is my first term.

Everyone told me is going to like drinking from a firehose.

But it's like drinking from a fire hose and you don't know what direction the fire hoses coming from next with us.

Not just being in the minority, but the super duper minority.

I want to find some bipartisan legislation where we can find common ground on things that we can find common ground, at least try and soften some of the bills around the edges.

I actually and one of the few people who's willing to admit even on camera that I'm not a Kentucky native.

I've only lived here since 1996 and people were mine.

Me never be a real Kentucky.

And but I'm glad that have been adopted by the state.

I am a residential realtor by by trading profession.

I do a lot of community service act activities.

My wife is a 17 year high school Spanish teacher.

She is my guiding light on on pretty much everything and I've got a 6 year-old niece who was here today, who is really in a different way, an inspiration because everything that I do, I'm going to look through the lens of is it going to make the world better for her when she's my age or is it just to serve those of us who are already in a position power?

The top issues to my district, which I'm representing our affordable housing and medication far too often people have to choose between either buying their medicine or paying the rent, better jobs and education.

Kentucky has never been at the forefront.

Thankfully with this governor, we're making great inroads and job development.

But I want to get some some of them to my district.

And then the last one, which it is.

A Louisville issue in somewhat a Lexington issue, maybe not as appreciated elsewhere, but we need to impart upon them.

It's safer streets.

The there's a crime epidemic and the solution isn't more police adding more police to solve crimes like loosening your belt to solve obesity.

We need to get to the root causes, which means dealing with mental health issues, dealing with poverty and homelessness, lack of opportunity.

My door is always open.

My phone is always on and and I just look forward >> well, State Representative Rachael Works.

District.

38 forgotten to the Kentucky General Assembly.

I was working as a legislative aide at Louisville Metro Council helping everyone with all other needs.

Everything from digging shopping carts on the ditches to, you know, helping with policy advice and making sure that, you know, we were getting the tree canopy money that we deserve to plant trees in the district.

So ran the gamut of need and I think it's really helped me know the needs of the district.

38 and to be able to better serve an understand what people want to see from the spot.

And so the issues that I love to address the session have already filed a bill of around traffic enforcement cameras and I'd love to work with my fellow colleagues in the advocates in the community to make sure that that legislation is a strong as it can possibly be there's a group in Louisville called Vision 0.

There also have a national counterpart as well.

And the goal of that group is to get down to 0 traffic fatalities and better improving infrastructure and as well as better enforcement and giving our law enforcement officers.

Another tool to support behavior change is really important.

So cameras to enforce red light running speeding are most problematic areas would really help with that issue.

And so I'm really excited to get to work to make good legislation as to what would be in terms of the policy for that ultimately with the goal of saving lives so long term.

I really hope to continue working on community-based waivers for our aging and disability community.

I'm looking forward to sponsoring bills that ensure affordable health care and inclusive health care.

I am excited to be supported our union labor folks and hardworking folks of Kentucky and just really excited to promote and support the idea that, you know, everyone belongs in this I know so very comfortable here and want to make sure that it's as welcoming as I feel that it is.

I was inspired, you know, as a young child to get more women in elected offices.

Let's what sparked the interest a long time ago and motivated me throughout high school to do different internships and pursue a degree in political science, which I, you know, got from the University of Louisville and then eventually became a legislative aide at Metro Council.

So a lot of work has gone over the course of time.

That has really inspired me.

And here I am today getting to do the service that was elected to do.

And I'm so honored that the people of the 38th district interest to me to do this work and my door is always open.

>> My name is Sarah Stocker and state representative for District.

34.

So I spent many years working in the nonprofit in Louisville.

I worked for an organization by the name of the Center for nonprofit.

Excellent.

So really a hub for the community for best practices.

Good governance, strategic planning membership benefits and opportunities for collaboration.

Times director of community engagement and membership there for several years.

And now I privately do nonprofit consulting my family had previously been a foster family with the state for about 6 and a half years.

And that was really a it was a very important and rewarding experience.

It was also deeply disturbing and concerning to see what this happening.

2.70, children across the state and how many families are in crisis and are struggling and the fact that we're not moving quickly or swiftly enough about that.

So in short, I really didn't feel disconnected from the issues that were whether that was super perfect, personal or professional proximity us feel like that might be an issue here.

You know, we've got people who just they don't know anybody who's ever experienced homelessness or somebody who's dealt with food and securities or drug addiction or right to pick a subject.

Pick a topic.

And I think that can make those concepts really abstract.

For people when they don't have this kind of personal connections and relationships and understanding.

And so I felt like I had a lot to bring to the table.

And so that's why decided to rent.

♪ More of those freshman profiles next week.

Now to on on to other news, the federal government will spend 20 million dollars to try and cybersecurity professionals.

>> U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was at the University of Louisville today to announce some of the money would go to the U of L cyber security workforce certificate.

That program began in 2020.

It teaches students skills to help protect America's information systems.

Kentucky's December unemployment rate was 4%.

That's unchanged from November.

It's lower.

Then the 4.6% jobless rate from a year earlier.

The jobless rate is a little higher than the national number.

A 3.5% in December.

Northern Kentucky University has its interim president.

She's been a to brown right now.

Brown is in K use Vice president and chief strategy.

Officer Brown is replacing Ashish Medea who left after the fall semester.

Brown will be on the job until the school finds a permanent president.

She will not be a candidate for that job.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron says his office is cracking down on human trafficking analysts.

It must mess Sarge businesses known as I am Bees Cameron says in the last 4 years Kentucky has seen a 72% increase in illicit massage businesses.

We're vulnerable.

Women and men are often exploited.

Cameron says his office is working with landlords to identify and shut those places down.

Catholic Charities of Louisville is helping victims of human trafficking escape the cycle of abuse.

And according to program Director Amy, Nice to gone to the problem is more complex than you might imagine.

>> When you're talking about sex trafficking, we're talking about a person who's being compelled by another person or group of people to perform some type of commercial sex act.

There are force fraud or coercion.

When you're talking about labor trafficking, it is someone being compiled another person or group of people to perform some type of forced labor activity through force fraud or coercion.

We see, you know, more of like that like maybe more organized, you know, crime like type of trafficking will happen more and the more urban areas right?

And in rural areas you see typically more of that familial trafficking.

Not everybody is going to identify that they are being exploited It could be that they are in a relationship where they think that they are, you know, just doing what the person in the relationship would like to do that.

That's a sign of love that fraud run so deep.

Sometimes that they don't recognize that the person is exploiting them is exploiting them.

These they think that they are just doing what what they need to or, you know, they.

I have just been exploited their whole life.

So this is a different, you know, just a different way, right?

Like it's it's kind of the norm or it's just that they they don't feel that there's any way anybody is going to listen to them or that they're going to be able to get any help.

So we're statewide program.

The big bulk of our power program is providing direct services.

So we want to ensure that we're connecting them to the correct resource if it is trafficking.

Let's look at and identify your most immediate need, right?

Whatever that may be, whether that is getting to it, you know, like maybe like emergency shelter or if that is getting some toiletries or if that's getting food or getting connected to a therapist, whatever it is, let's meet that immediate need.

And then look at your long-term needs and then we have our other.

You we KET of our program, which is prevention, education.

Typically you're going to see that those that have a higher rate of at risk for being trafficked are going to be those that are homeless that are going to be those that are in poverty, those that, you know, have had histories of abuse, that kind of thing, the things that make them.

Very vulnerable.

And unfortunately in Kentucky, we do have a high rate of poverty.

We do have, you know, in Louisville, the you know, rate of homelessness continues to expand and so that you are going to probably see more and more people in vulnerable spots.

And we really have to be looking at disrupting these root causes.

If we're really going to make a dent.

On decreasing human trafficking because if we're not, then all we're doing is putting a Band-Aid on a problem that's going to continue to have it.

>> If you suspect someone is being trafficked call the National Human Trafficking hotline at +1-888-373-7888.

♪ ♪ >> What does social studies public speaking and community change have in common?

Good questions.

While they're all a part of the mix, a soap box challenge and Kentucky students are accepting the challenge.

Kentucky additions Kelsey Starks takes us inside the competition.

>> If you've ever gotten butterflies in your belly or what Pence speaking in front of a crowd, you know that it isn't easy.

I was nervous, but I was excited to tell people like what I thought was >> Well, imagine standing in front of this crowd speaking passionately about a topic that's important to you as a kid.

>> I was really blown away.

I was light.

I guess I was on trying.

And yet they did amazing.

I love all the speeches in my Mike Ross is because I love this state.

>> That's what the mic so box challenge is all about about 80 students from Jefferson County.

Public Schools were chosen to represent their schools at the district competition held at the Frazier History Museum >> They are 2 to 3 minutes.

Beaches answer the question.

What's the biggest issue facing your community and what should be done about it?

The topics all chosen by the students are wide ranging.

>> My speeches about and having a different language teach at a school.

>> I think the kids get out of sort of the camaraderie like the idea that we're working together that were reasoning together and then it takes multiple perspectives to really be able to come to reasonable conclusions, you know, for them and their world for largest.

The site.

>> The challenge culminates a curriculum for students in 5th through 12th grade.

Don't based on student-centered project based learning about the democratic process with a focus on public speaking.

>> I really like civics is about helping young people have a voice in our democracy.

And this is a good way to do it.

To me, this is like the quintessential civics lesson.

>> 7 finalists were chosen.

I'm votes from their peers to move forward in the competition.

>> I I'm a price effects or you can just light think into.

I'm going to speak to the press.

People.

The president among states Army's top position ever think about.

And look at this point of these just it's really emotional to think about and even to just see as their savior.

>> Kentucky edition, I'm healthy starts.

>> Last year a JCPS student was chosen as one of the 12 to compete on the national main stage.

This year's district winner has yet to be chosen but will speak at the National summit.

How this may good luck to all of them.

♪ ♪ Today is national Popcorn Day.

Have you had yet?

If you plan to have some popcorn tonight, you can have plenty of company Americans eat 17 billion quarts of popcorn every year that works out to about courts for the average person.

And there is a Kentucky connection to all this.

The website, popcorn Dot Org lists.

Kentucky has one of the 8 top pop corn producing states.

Nebraska's first need to kick them out of the lie for that America needs.

Welders and Kentucky is helping to deliver.

It's the first high school women's welding competition.

Ave are in Kentucky will take you there and tell you how it's providing some much-needed workers.

That's tomorrow night on Kentucky EDITION, which we hope you'll join us for at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips at KU to DOT Org.

>> And you can also find Kentucky Edition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV and follow KET on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop tomorrow night.

You don't want to miss it will have inside Kentucky politics with Republican Trey Grayson, Democrat Colmon Eldridge.

Be a good discussion along with a recap of the day's news that affects you the most.

Thanks so much for watching.

I'm Renee Shaw and I'll see you tomorrow night.

♪