Dear Family and friends, It is with equal levels of excitement and sadness that I share with you my decision to resign my position as Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. Over the last five years I have had the distinct privileged of leading DJJ and partnering with champions, advocates and troublemakers to better serve Kentucky’s children facing the greatest challenges. I am humbled by the commitment and dedication that is clearly present for the Children that have found their way into our systems of care. The last few years have been especially challenging as agencies adjusted to budgets and other concerns. But these challenges gave us the opportunity to begin a very deliberate conversation about System Reform. From the many strategic planning, treatment planning and leadership discussions we have had in the last year across agencies, cabinets and branches of government, it became clear that although we have done an admirable job serving the youth of the Commonwealth, we could and deserve the opportunity to do even better. Last week the Kentucky General Assembly passed SB200. It was a great privilege for me to serve on the Unified Juvenile Code Task Force and have an active hand in the development and passage of this landmark legislation. Juvenile Justice reform is now a reality for the Commonwealth. While I am disappointed that the Commonwealth will not blaze a completely new trail by addressing, emphatically, the removing of non-criminal children (status offenders) from their homes and by closing the loophole that allows Judges to invoke the valid court order exception as an excuse for locking children in secure detention, I am pleased with SB200 and the safeguards it puts in place to limit those options. With the passage of SB200 Kentucky is one-step closer to becoming a national model for treating and strengthening youth. In looking to the future, I realize this is the appropriate time for me to step away from an operational leadership role at DJJ. I know that Children and families are still an important part of my work... lets seen what trouble we can start. Looking back over the last five years at DJJ, my best moments were those I spent with my staff and reform partners -- listening to challenges and successes and seeing the impact our committed efforts can/ will have each day on the children in our care. It has been an honor to be in this fight with so many champions, in the best interest of, what one of my Division Directors recently reminded me was, Kentuckys most precious natural resource -- children.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 17:46:40 +0000
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