Jailers across Kentucky are meeting in western Kentucky this week and talking about the problems they face running the state's jails.

Attorney general and Republican candidate for governor, Daniel Cameron, gave Monday's opening remarks.

Law and order initiatives.

Several Kentucky jailers and their staff are at the Owensboro Convention Center.

This week, where the Kentucky Jailers Association fall conference.

It provides some training on legal issues, provides him training on daily issues that occur in their facilities.

It provides them the opportunity to talk with other jailers and talk with other professionals across the state so they can share ideas and share thoughts.

Jailer Dailey says the most pressing concern affecting corrections is addiction.

I would tell you 85% of the people that come into our facilities have a drug or alcohol problem, and the resulting things that go with that, you know, the crimes that occur that they're involved with because of the drug abuse facility.

And show me this state of the art.

Attorney General and Republican candidate for governor, Daniel Cameron, spoke at the conference the same day as announcing millions in funding to fight the opioid crisis.

This is about addressing an issue that has plagued our people for far too long.

And we talked a lot about the opioid epidemic, but we are now bringing in real money into the state in awarding organizations and, you know, making sure that they have the resources to help stem the tide of this epidemic.

Jailer Dailey says mental health is also a major challenge for Kentucky correctional facilities, where.

The mental health facilities of the past since the federal government closed them down in the late seventies, early eighties.

They now come to jail and we're required to deal with them and we're not set up for.

Daily, says his jail.

And Campbell County is among those in Kentucky that do have full time mental health staff onsite.

Jails may be different size and maybe different location, but the problem is that we have pretty much run the same gamut.

This week, a chance for Kentucky jails to identify those problems and learn ways and resources that help them continue to better serve their communities.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

The Kentucky Jailers Association holds two conferences a year.

The fall session runs through Thursday.

Jailers must complete 40 hours of training a year.