The population of Kentucky youth housed in juvenile detention centers and other out-of-home placements has fallen 40 percent in two years, outpacing predictions following the passage of Senate Bill 200 (SB 200), a sweeping juvenile justice improvement bill.

In 2013, Kentucky partnered with the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) to craft a package of juvenile justice system improvement legislation aimed at reducing out-of-home placements while protecting public safety, holding youth accountable, and improving outcomes for those in the juvenile justice system. The legislation passed in 2014. Later the same year, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention selected Kentucky as one of the first states to participate in its Comprehensive Juvenile Justice System Improvement Initiative. As part of the initiative, the state received training and technical assistance from CJI to support implementation of the improvements.

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