A recent class-action lawsuit exposes Kentucky’s Adair County juvenile facility.
A recent class-action lawsuit against Kentucky’s Adair County juvenile facility has exposed the shocking reality of inhumane living conditions at the institution. In 2022, two 17-year-old girls experienced abuse and neglect while at the correctional facility.
Civil rights attorney Laura Landenwich filed the federal lawsuit on January 15. Ladenwich asserts that Jamaiah Kennedy and Willow Neal experienced treatment that violated the Geneva Convention and Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Both girls were kept in isolation, while Neal was seven months pregnant. Her cell was “infested with bugs,” and “she only showered 12 times during her one-month stay.” Kennedy was left with only her bra to use as a sponge, had to shower in the presence of male officers, and “was locked in a padded cell without a working toilet or bed.”
Regarding these horrific conditions, Landenwich said this: “Their sense of security, safety, autonomy, all of those things that make us human, are impacted by being treated like an animal.”
A spokesperson for Kentucky's Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Morgan Hall, stated that they “deny the allegations and will defend accordingly.” The department maintains its belief that it provides proper care and services to juveniles.
Kentucky state governor Andy Beshear has been instrumental in the fight to improve the juvenile justice system, but lawmakers seek further action.
As a member of the Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee, Louisville house representative Kevin Bratcher hopes to inspire change. Bratcher sponsored House Bill 3, which was passed to reopen a youth detention center in Louisville. He hopes that the addition of a Jefferson County facility will allow children to be closer to their families, and maintains the belief that leadership changes must occur.
Attorneys for the female survivors seek a jury trial, monetary compensation for various damages, and a ruling to close the Adair County facility as a result of constitutional violations.
“We're going to step up and fix this problem, and it's a work in progress,” Bratcher said.
Authors: Alexis Kabat and Andy Goldwasser
