Although the state has oversight of local jails, state officials have been reluctant to wield it during the pandemic.
Coronavirus
How Kentucky Missed Out On A $90 Million Unemployment Upgrade
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The federal government set aside $7 billion in 2009 to modernize the nation’s unemployment systems. Kentucky left its portion on the table.
Government
Beshear Says Federal Changes Responsible For Unemployment Confusion
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It’s unclear if state officials ever communicated the change to out-of-work Kentuckians after the state received new guidance in April.
coronavirus
With Coronavirus Cases In Jail Rising, A Bail Fund Steps Up Its Work
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Despite the contagious virus taking root inside the jail, judges continue to set bail amounts that are out of reach for some people. Government agencies lean on a set of narrow parameters when deciding who gets set free. The pandemic is also leading to delayed court hearings for some people, resulting in extended stays behind bars where they risk infection.
The result: Hundreds of people stuck in a cramped jail as a dangerous, contagious virus spreads, infects and, in some cases, kills. Many inmates and their families are turning to bail funds for a shot at getting out of confinement.
Health
Louisville Protests Bring New Attention To Racial Trauma
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Racial trauma, experienced by people of color, is getting more attention after a summer of protests over the police deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Coronavirus
6 Young Kentuckians Known To Have Rare But Serious MIS-C, Linked To Coronavirus
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Six cases of a rare coronavirus-related inflammatory condition have been identified in Kentucky youth since March, according to public records from the state. Case data suggest the syndrome is disproportionately impacting young people of color. MIS-C, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, has been identified in Kentuckians as young as five and as old as 19. Symptoms of the rare but serious condition include the inflammation of multiple body parts, fever, rash or vomiting. The cause of MIS-C is unknown, though it’s linked to the new coronavirus.
child abuse
Child Abuse Reports In Kentucky Are Way Down — Why That’s Not Good News
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Experts say the coronavirus pandemic is a “perfect storm” for child maltreatment.
Coronavirus
CDC Recommends Younger Kids Wear Masks; Kentucky Says It Depends
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After three months of closures, child care centers have reopened in Kentucky with a full slate of new safety guidelines. There are temperature checks. Groups are capped at 10 kids. Playground time is staggered. The “lost and found” bin has been eliminated.
Criminal Justice
Some Green River Inmates Still Waiting for Coronavirus Retesting
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The state committed to retesting all the inmates at the Green River Correctional Complex by last Friday. Almost a week after that deadline, retesting has not been completed.
Breonna Taylor
Pandemic Poses Unique Challenges For Protesters
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89.3 WFPL News Louisville · Pandemic Poses Unique Challenges for Protesters
On Thursday afternoon, not long before the rain started, a crowd gathered in Jefferson Square Park in downtown Louisville. They’ve been here every afternoon, protesting the police killing of Breonna Taylor.
As people come up to give speeches and lead chants, Rosie Henderson sits at the ready.
“I’m wiping down the mics with disinfecting wipes,” said Henderson. “We’ve been as safe as we can, so nobody can say that we just out here protesting and not trying to be safe.”
Henderson has been out at the protests every evening, and she’s appointed herself chief safety stickler. She’s making sure everyone has masks and hand sanitizer.
“If we’re going to be out here, we’ve got to be safe,” she said. “Because the coronavirus is real and it is going up every day.”
For nearly two months, downtown Louisville was a ghost town, as businesses and restaurants closed in an attempt to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Patients Sue UK HealthCare, State Over Debt Collection Practices
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Five patients are suing the University of Kentucky health care system and the Kentucky Department of Revenue over medical debt collection practices. The plaintiffs, represented by the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, allege UK HealthCare and the DOR violate patients rights to due process by collecting debts without giving patients adequate notice or opportunity to contest the debts. The class action lawsuit is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, meaning the plaintiffs and their lawyers are asking the DOR and UK HealthCare to stop collecting debts until patients are given adequate notice and the chance to challenge debts. UK HealthCare is the only hospital system in the state that can utilize the DOR for collection. This means, unlike other health care providers who would have to take debtors to court, UK HealthCare can avail itself of the state’s powerful collection tools including wage garnishments, withholding tax returns and liens on property, all without a court order.