Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Paducah, has filed Senate Bill 125, the latest measure in his multi-year effort to reform Kentucky’s juvenile justice system by focusing on youth with serious behavioral health needs.
The measure creates a structured process for evaluating, treating and housing juveniles who display extreme aggression or pose significant safety risks.
SB 125 follows a series of bills Carroll has championed to bring meaningful change to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). SB 162, passed in 2023 and signed into law, laid the foundation for DJJ reform by reinstating the regional detention model and mandating safer, more specialized facilities. Since then, Carroll has continued to address the issue through SB 242 in 2024 and SB 111 in 2025. While both measures passed the Senate unanimously, they did not advance to final passage.
“Our work is not finished,” Carroll said. “This bill builds on what we’ve already accomplished while bringing forward new, real solutions for kids in crisis and the staff charged with their care.”
SB 125 requires that any youth in custody facing a public offense, or under a court order for psychiatric treatment, be evaluated by a licensed clinician to determine whether they qualify as a “high acuity youth.” If so, DJJ, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the court must coordinate a treatment plan. The bill includes strict timelines, outlines dispute procedures and prevents courts from ordering inpatient care unless the hospital agrees or the order meets high legal standards.
One goal of the legislation is to ensure that treatment facilities are properly equipped to provide the care needed for high-acuity youth.
Further, to support treatment capacity, the bill sets enhanced reimbursement rates for hospitals that accept high-acuity youth. It also authorizes DJJ to open a new residential mental health juvenile detention facility, directs the creation of at least two female-only detention centers and modernizes legal definitions throughout Kentucky’s juvenile code.
“This is a focused, thoughtful step toward a juvenile justice system that protects the public while treating children with dignity,” Carroll said. “We must keep pushing forward. The legislature must step up in more meaningful ways. I am grateful for my colleagues who have shown the willingness to do so in the past.”
Carroll said he will advocate for funding in the biennial budget to support developing needed facilities.
The bill has not yet been assigned to a committee.
Photo courtesy of the Legislative Research Commission
