DJJ Community Services provide services to juvenile offenders adjudicated as delinquent or guilty. Juvenile Social Workers (JSWs) typically serve in roles similar to probation officers where offenses can be reported to the JSW by family members or the police. JSWs often oversee juveniles who are currently committed to DJJ and have completed the residential phase of their treatment. JSWs assist DJJ in monitoring juveniles in the community and imposing graduated sanctions on a juvenile breaking the rules of their placement. These JSWs can initiate a legal process administered by DJJ to return a committed juvenile from community placement to a DJJ residential facility. DJJ staff in the community offices develop service objectives and comprehensive service plans for juvenile offenders and their families. JSWs supervised an average daily population of approximately 462 youths per day in FY 2025 and recommend any necessary out-of-home placements.
The Division of Placement Services, included in the Program Operations area, determines appropriate out-of- home placements for youths committed to DJJ. The Division of Placement Services consists of five branches: Alternative Services, Classification Branch, Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Branch, Interstate Compact Juveniles Branch, and the Medical Branch. The Medical Branch oversees the medical delivery system throughout DJJ.
Support Services provides administrative support to all organizational units of DJJ, including Division of Administrative Services; Division of Program Services; and the Division of Professional Development. The Division of Administrative Services consists of four branches: Fiscal; Grants; Capital Construction and Real Properties; and Information Systems. The Division of Program Services consists of the Education Branch, Benefits and Human Services Branch, and Program Operations Branch that report directly to the Division Director. The Division of Professional Development consists of the Academy Training Branch and the In-service Training Branch.
The base budget includes General Fund in the amount of $20,000,000 in each fiscal year to support expanded medical services for youth under the care of the department, including primary care and mental health services.
The budget includes additional General Fund in the amount of $6,515,300 in fiscal year 2027 and $12,019,800 in fiscal year 2028 to operate the new the Jefferson County Youth Detention Center in downtown Louisville and the expansion of the Jefferson Regional Detention Center in Lyndon. Both facilities are undergoing extensive renovations and expected to be operational in Fall of 2026 for Lyndon and Spring 2027 for the downtown location.
The Governor's budget includes additional funding in the amount of $1,911,000 in fiscal year 2027 and $3,931,300 in fiscal year 2028 to fund a 2% salary increment in fiscal year 2027 and an additional 2% in fiscal year 2028. The General Fund portion is $1,758,100 and $3,616,800, respectively.