LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A judge has ordered Louisville Metro Detention Center (LMDC) to immediately release records related to its use of incarcerated “inmate observers,” according to the ACLU of Kentucky.
The ruling, filed Jan. 13, overturns a previous opinion from the Kentucky Attorney General’s office that allowed LMDC to withhold the documents under an exemption in the state’s Open Records Act.
The ACLU said it is seeking the records as part of an investigation into LMDC’s inmate observer program, which uses incarcerated individuals to monitor others in custody. The organization is examining how observers are selected, trained, and supervised, as well as whether the program is being used safely and legally.
“This ruling is a clear affirmation of the public’s right to know how government institutions operate behind closed doors,” said Bethany Baxter, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Kentucky. “When lives are at stake, transparency is not optional.”
According to the ACLU, at least 22 people have died inside LMDC since 2022.
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