KRS § 15A.020 — KY Code / Title III / Chapter 15A / Section 15A.020
15A.020 Organization of Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
Status: in_force

15A.020 Organization of Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

(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 reports 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 Administrative 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 shall 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 Kentucky 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 headed

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 Commission. 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 Public 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 matters 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 director 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 Safety 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 suspicion 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 Department 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 responsible 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 Legislative 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 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 report to the executive

director of the Office of Communications;

(f) Office of Financial Management Services, 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 fiscal functions, 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 Financial Management, 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 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 relating 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 State 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, including 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 Commonwealth. 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.