Kentucky.gov

Below you will find a list of recent press releases.  Click on the title to view the full text of the press release.

To view more headlines or archived press releases, use the green navigation options on the left.

• ‘Controlled movement’ led to inmate riot at Northpoint, report says
  Friday, November 20, 2009
  Inmates reacted to the implementation of restrictions in their movement at the Northpoint Training Center in August by setting fires in dorms, destroying property and busting out windows, causing one of the most destructive prison riots in Kentucky history, according to a report released today by the Department of Corrections.
• Governor’s Re-Entry Task Force to meet
  Wednesday, November 04, 2009
  The Governor’s Re-Entry Task Force, charged with developing recommendations for helping former inmates re-enter their communities and reducing the likelihood that they will reoffend, will meet this Thursday.
• Education, information on treatment, key components to combat prescription drug abuse, group says
  Wednesday, November 04, 2009
  A group of stakeholders in the prescription drug abuse epidemic say the creation of a call center staffed by trained counselors to handle inquiries about substance abuse, and a database updated weekly that matches available treatment to the needs of the abuser, would offer dramatic tools to combat Kentucky’s growing problem.
• Prescription drug use increases in nearly all KY counties, report finds
  Wednesday, September 30, 2009
  The rate of prescriptions dispensed for controlled substances increased in 118 of Kentucky’s 120 counties between 2005 and 2007, according to a recent report of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, and five Kentucky counties – Clinton, Magoffin, Whitley, Bell and Owsley – averaged more than four controlled substance prescriptions dispensed per resident.
• Secretary Brown elected to national criminal justice board
  Wednesday, September 23, 2009
  Justice and Public Safety Secretary J. Michael Brown has been elected chairman of the Southern Region for the National Criminal Justice Association, a position that seats Brown as a member of the NCJA’s Board of Directors.
• Ingram named executive director of Drug Control Policy office
  Friday, September 18, 2009
  Justice and Public Safety Secretary J. Michael Brown has named Van Ingram as executive director for the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, a position he has held in an acting capacity for the past 12 months.
• Kentucky Motorcycle Rider Safety Education Commission to meet Sept. 14
  Friday, September 11, 2009
  The Kentucky Motorcycle Safety Education Commission will hold its next meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, 2009.
• Justice Cabinet awards nearly $5 million to aid law enforcement
  Thursday, September 10, 2009
  The Justice and Public Safety Cabinet today announced the award of 81 federal and state grants totaling nearly $5 million to police departments, sheriff’s departments and other criminal justice agencies across the Commonwealth. The grant money will help police officers and criminal justice professionals protect citizens against drunken driving, drugs and other crimes. All grant awards run July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010.
• Justice Cabinet announces funds to combat violence against women
  Thursday, September 10, 2009
  Justice and Public Safety Secretary J. Michael Brown today announced that $1.8 million in funds would be available for public safety grants through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Services, Training, Officers, Prosecution (STOP) grant program. The grant program will provide funding opportunities for victim services projects throughout the Commonwealth.
• Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy to hold public hearing
  Monday, August 17, 2009
  The Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy will hold its annual public hearing to gather comments on the use, distribution and awarding of funds allocated to the KY-ASAP Program from the Kentucky Health Care Improvement Authority (Tobacco Settlement Funds, Phase I and Phase II).
• Justice Cabinet releases annual report on hate crimes
  Wednesday, July 22, 2009
  The Kentucky State Police reported 56 incidents of hate crime in 2007, 13 percent fewer than in 2006, according to a recent report released by the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. Compared to the surrounding states, Kentucky reported fewer hate crimes than Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, and Virginia, but more hate crimes than Indiana and West Virginia.
• Kentucky Motorcycle Rider Safety Education Commission to meet July 20
  Friday, July 17, 2009
  The Kentucky Motorcycle Safety Education Commission will hold its next meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, July 20, 2009 in the second floor conference room of the Justice and Public Safety Building.
• Justice Cabinet releases 2008 Kentucky Victimization study
  Monday, July 13, 2009
  Although there have been no large-scale acts of domestic terror in the United States since Sept. 11, 2001, most Kentuckians are fearful and expectant that terrorism will occur in this country, but far fewer worry that a terrorist attack will actually occur in their communities, according to a statewide study on victimization released by the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. The report is believed to be the first time that the impact of terrorism on the lives of Kentucky residents has been examined.