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Bevin Announces Pay Raises for Juvenile Detention Center Staff

Governor Matt Bevin, via Facebook

Hundreds of youth workers at Kentucky’s juvenile detention facilities will soon see a 20% hike in their pay. Governor Matt Bevin made the announcement Thursday at the Fayette Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

The governor says the roughly $2 million to cover pay raises come from a number of state departments. “The people that have that responsibility are people that we the taxpayers and in my case, the governor and my administration, have a responsibility to do right by them. We just do," Bevin said.

The largest salary increase will go to some 460 entry youth workers. Others working in juvenile detention facilities will also see higher pay.

One of those affected by the pay increase is Joset Irvine who’s worked for 6 months at the Fayette center. She said she was approached by a young man one day before his release. “He confronted me and he said, 'you know, I know you guys don’t get paid a lot of money but if you can only stay because you encourage us, you talk to us, you take the time to speak to us and find out how we’re doing. So, if you could just stay, because they need you. We need you,'" Irvine said.

Because of employee turnover rates that exceed 100 percent, Justice Secretary John Tilley says it costs the taxpayer more to pay less when it comes to youth worker salaries. “During the period of 2016 I believe we had 180 departures and 150 hires," Tilley said.

The hourly rate for the entry youth workers is expected to go from just over $11 to just over $13 next month. Other juvenile detention workers will see pay increases as well. Juvenile Justice Commissioner Carey Cockerell says there are about 1,200 juveniles housed in facilities across the state.

Stu Johnson is a reporter/producer at WEKU in Lexington, Kentucky.
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