LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky lawmakers are renewing a push for a bill that would build a youth psychiatric facility.
Randy White, commissioner of the state's Department of Juvenile Justice, said the facility would help keep kids out of state office buildings.
The bill was proposed last year, and filed again this legislative session. It would build a facility for the state's young people that need to be detained, but also need mental health treatment.
That includes foster kids, that have typically ended up in a state office building, such as the L&N building, when placement is hard to find.
White was asked Tuesday in Frankfort if renovating a current facility instead of building a new one is an option.
"It's very difficult to try to renovate a building and bring it up to those codes. And we want to look at these as not only as offenders and kids, but patients," he said. "So I would be more inclined to say we would be better off building a new facility than trying to find something to renovate."
The proposed facility would house both males and females under 18, with 24 beds.
If the bill becomes law, construction would likely take between a year and a half to two years.
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