LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- With teens involved in violent crimes like shootings and carjackings, Kentucky is pouring millions of dollars into renovating and reopening the Youth Detention Center in downtown Louisville.

This week, WDRB News got a look inside the facility. 

Walking into Louisville's juvenile jail is like stepping back in time to 2019, when the city closed the facility amid budget cuts, as well as safety and operational issues.

At the time, David James was the president of Louisville Metro Council. He said there were no benefits to the Louisville Metro Government running the jail.

"It cost us a tremendous amount of money. The state would reimburse us for the money that we spent, but they wouldn't reimburse us for the entire amount of money that it costs to run this facility," he said.

On Dec. 31, 2019, Louisville Metro Youth Detention Center closed and the next day became Louisville Youth Transitional Services. The new operations use the first floor and act a space for arrested youth to wait for court hearings and convicted youth to go back and forth from other detention centers.

This session lawmakers passed House Bill 3 and Gov. Andy Beshear signed off, pouring $17.1 million to renovate the facility. Now as the city is preparing to turn over the building to state government it's clear there's a lot of work to be done. 

In each of the four "pods" on the second floor, there's eight individual rooms. That layout isn't changing.

"That pod actually becomes like their family," James said.

The tour revealed rusted beds, corroded faucets and dirty toilets. 

"We have to make sure that the plumbing works, and right now, we don't know that," James said.

In addition to the pod space with tables and chairs, there's an outdoor recreational space, but the area has sustained wind damage. 

IMAGES | Louisville youth detention center tour April 4, 2023

As for the educational needs of the youth at the facility, James said Jefferson County Public Schools has agreed to provide classes, like it did previously.

James said one of the upgrades during the renovation will involve providing upgraded technology so staff in the master control center, where administrators provide supervision of the youth who are housed there, can use the latest in juvenile jail safety techniques.

He said those upgrades will make it possible, "for the control room to be able to monitor each one of the pods to see what's going on to make sure everyone is OK."

The facility has a troubled history in terms of sexual abuse and violence. Even after this facility was closed, riots and attacks continue at some of the other state-run juvenile facilities. 

"I don't know that there is an amount of money that could solve all violence in a detention center," James said. "But I do know that resources need to be added in order to help protect the children that are in those facilities."

James said the building can hold 96 youth, but the state plans to only use 40 of the beds, beginning by housing boys only. But even with limited capacity, James said he believes bringing Louisville's troubled teens home is necessary.

"I think it helps give them a base, right?" he said. "Because their parents will be able to actually come see them. Grandma will be able to come see them, and, you know, their family members will be able to come see them and talk to them -- help keep them grounded and help to try to change some of their behavior."

It's not clear when youths could be back in the center, but renovations to the whole building are expected to be completed by the end of summer 2024.

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