KRS 15A.020: Organization of Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
Where this section sits in the code
- KRS Chapter 15A
(1) The Justice and Public Safety Cabinet shall have the following departments:
(a) Department of Corrections;
(b) Department of Criminal Justice Training, which shall have the following
divisions:
1. Training Operations Division; and
2. Administrative Division;
(c) Department of Juvenile Justice, which shall have the following offices and
divisions:
1. Office of Program Operations, which shall have the following divisions:
a. Division of Western Region;
b. Division of Eastern Region; and
c. Division of Placement Services;
2. Office of Support Services, which shall have the following divisions:
a. Division of Administrative Services;
b. Division of Program Services; and
c. Division of Professional Development;
3. Office of Community and Mental Health Services, which shall have the
following division:
a. Division of Community and Mental Health Services;
4. Office of Detention, which shall require that all detention centers report
to one (1) supervisor who repor ts directly to the commissioner, and
which shall have the following division:
a. Division of Transportation; and
5. Division of Compliance;
(d) Department of Kentucky State Police, which shall have the following offices
and divisions:
1. Office of Administ rative Services, which shall be headed by an
executive director who shall be appointed by the commissioner of the
Department of Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the
commissioner;
a. Division of Operational Support, which shall be headed by a
director who shall be appointed by the commissioner of the
Department of Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the
executive director of the Office of Administrative Services; and
b. Division of Management Services, which shall be headed by a
director who shall be appointed by the commissioner of the
Department of Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the
executive director of the Office of Administrative Services;
2. Office of Operations, which shall be headed by an executive director
who sh all be appointed by the commissioner of the Department of
Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the commissioner;
a. Division of West Troops, which shall be headed by a director who
shall be appointed by the commissioner of the Department of
Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the executive
director of the Office of Operations;
b. Division of East Troops, which shall be headed by a director who
shall be appointed by the commissioner of the Department of
Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the executive
director of the Office of Operations;
c. Division of Special Enforcement, which shall be headed by a
director who shall be appointed by the commissioner of the
Department of Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the
executive director of the Office of Operations; and
d. Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, which shall be
headed by a director who shall be appointed by the commissioner
of the Department of Kentucky State Police and who shall report
to the executive director of the Office of Operations; and
3. Office of Technical Services, which shall be headed by an executive
director who shall be appointed by the commissioner of the Department
of Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the commissioner;
a. Division of Forensic Services, which shall be headed by a director
who shall have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a natural
science and at least seven (7) years of experience in an accredited
forensic laboratory, who shall be appointed by the commissioner
of the Department of Kentucky State Police, and who shall report
to the executive director of the Office of Technical Services;
b. Division of Electronic Services, which shall be headed by a
director who shall be appointed by the commissioner of the
Department of Kentucky State Police and who shall report to the
executive director of the Office of Technical Services; and
c. Division of Records Management, which shall be headed by a
director who shall be appointed by the commissioner of the
Department of Kentuck y State Police and who shall report to the
executive director of the Office of Technical Services; and
(e) Department of Public Advocacy, which shall have the following divisions:
1. Protection and Advocacy Division;
2. Division of Law Operations;
3. Division of Trial Services;
4. Division of Post-Trial Services;
5. Division of Conflict and Contract Services; and
6. Division of Education, Strategic Planning, and Recruitment.
(2) Each department, except for the Department of Public Advocacy, shall be he aded
by a commissioner who shall be appointed by the secretary of the Justice and Public
Safety Cabinet with the approval of the Governor as required by KRS 12.040. Each
commissioner shall be directly responsible to the secretary and shall have such
functions, powers, and duties as provided by law and as the secretary may
prescribe. The Department of Public Advocacy shall be headed by the public
advocate, appointed as required by KRS 31.020, who shall be directly responsible
to the Public Advocacy Commissio n. The Department of Public Advocacy is an
independent state agency which shall be attached to the Justice and Public Safety
Cabinet for administrative purposes only. The Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
shall not have control over the Department of Publi c Advocacy's information
technology equipment and use unless granted access by court order.
(3) The Justice and Public Safety Cabinet shall have the following offices and
divisions:
(a) Office of the Secretary, which shall be headed by a deputy secretary
appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 and responsible for the direct
administrative support for the secretary and other duties as assigned by the
secretary, and which, with the approval of the secretary, may employ such
staff as necessary to perform the duties, functions, and responsibilities of the
office;
(b) Office of Human Resource Management, which shall be headed by an
executive director appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall be responsible
to and report to the secretary and be responsible for all matte rs relating to
human resources, and who, with the approval of the secretary, may employ
such staff as necessary to perform the duties, functions, and responsibilities of
the office;
1. Division of Human Resource Administration, which shall be headed by
a d irector appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall report to the
executive director of the Office of Human Resource Management; and
2. Division of Employee Management, which shall be headed by a director
appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall report to the executive
director of the Office of Human Resource Management;
(c) Office of Legal Services, which shall be headed by an executive director
appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 and 12.210, that:
1. Shall provide legal representation and services for the cabinet; and
2. May investigate all complaints regarding the facilities, staff, treatment
of juveniles, and other matters relating to the operation of the Justice
and Public Safety Cabinet. If it appears that there is a violation of
statutes, administrative regulations, policies, court decisions, the rights
of juveniles who are subject to the orders of the department, or any other
matter relating to the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the office shall
report to the secretary of the Justice and Public Safe ty Cabinet who
shall, if required, refer the matter to a law enforcement agency,
Commonwealth's attorney, county attorney, the Attorney General, or
federal agencies, as appropriate. The office may be used to investigate
matters in which there is a suspicio n of violation of written policy,
administrative regulation, or statutory law within the Department of
Public Advocacy only when the investigation will have no prejudicial
impact upon a person who has an existing attorney -client relationship
with the Depar tment of Public Advocacy. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this subparagraph, investigation and discipline of KRS
Chapter 16 personnel shall continue to be conducted by the Department
of Kentucky State Police pursuant to KRS Chapter 16. The office shall
conduct no other investigations under the authority granted in this
subparagraph. The secretary may, by administrative order, assign the
investigative functions in this subparagraph to a branch within the
office.
The executive director shall be directly re sponsible to and report to the
secretary and, with the approval of the secretary, may employ such attorneys
appointed pursuant to KRS 12.210 and other staff as necessary to perform the
duties, functions, and responsibilities of the office;
(d) Office of Le gislative and Intergovernmental Services, which shall be headed
by an executive director appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall be
responsible for all matters relating to the provision of support to the Criminal
Justice Council, legislative liaison services, and functions and duties vested in
the Criminal Justice Council as described in KRS 15A.030. The executive
director shall be directly responsible to and report to the secretary and may
employ such staff as necessary to perform the duties, functions, and
responsibilities of the office;
(e) Office of Communications, which shall be headed by an executive director
appointed by the secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet pursuant to
KRS 12.050 who shall be responsible to report to the secretary and be
responsible for all matters relating to communications, and who, with the
approval of the secretary, may employ such staff as necessary to perform the
duties, functions, and responsibilities of the office;
1. Information and Technology Services Div ision, which shall be headed
by a director appointed by the secretary of the Justice and Public Safety
Cabinet pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall report to the executive
director of the Office of Communications;
(f) Office of Financial Management Services, w hich shall be headed by an
executive director appointed by the secretary of the Justice and Public Safety
Cabinet pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall be responsible to report to the
secretary and be responsible for all matters relating to fiscal functions, an d
who, with the approval of the secretary, may employ such staff as necessary
to perform the duties, functions, and responsibilities of the office;
1. Division of Financial Management, which shall be headed by a director
appointed by the secretary of the J ustice and Public Safety Cabinet
pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall report to the executive director of the
Office of Financial Management Services;
(g) Grants Management Division, which shall be headed by a director appointed
by the secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet pursuant to KRS
12.050 who shall be responsible to report to the secretary and be responsible
for all matters relating to state and federal grants management, and who, with
the approval of the secretary, may employ such staff as necessary to perform
the duties, functions, and responsibilities of the office;
(h) Office of the Kentucky State Medical Examiner, which shall be headed by a
chief medical examiner appointed pursuant to KRS 72.240 who shall be
responsible for all matters r elating to forensic pathology and forensic
toxicology and other duties as assigned by the secretary. The executive
director appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 shall be responsible for all matters
related to the administrative support of the Office of the Sta te Medical
Examiner. The executive director shall report directly to the secretary and
with the approval of the secretary may employ such administrative support
staff as necessary to perform the administrative duties, functions, and
responsibilities of the office. The chief medical examiner shall be directly
responsible to and report to the secretary and may employ such staff as
necessary to perform the forensic duties, functions, and responsibilities of the
office; and
(i) Office of Drug Control Policy, which shall be headed by an executive director
appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall be responsible for all matters
relating to the research, coordination, and execution of drug control policy
and for the management of state and federal grants, includin g but not limited
to the prevention and treatment related to substance abuse. By December 31
of each year, the Office of Drug Control Policy shall review, approve, and
coordinate all current projects of any substance abuse program which is
conducted by or receives funding through agencies of the executive branch.
This oversight shall extend to all substance abuse programs which are
principally related to the prevention or treatment, or otherwise targeted at the
reduction, of substance abuse in the Commonwea lth. The Office of Drug
Control Policy shall promulgate administrative regulations consistent with
enforcing this oversight authority. The executive director shall be directly
responsible to and report to the secretary and may employ such staff as
necessary to perform the duties, functions, and responsibilities of the office.
Collected 2026-09-05T20:48:35Z. Source file · JSON