Finally, after 2 months of demanding more transparency around the in-custody death of 16-year-old Gynnya McMillen, we have learned that the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Department will release her unedited surveillance video and two detention center staffers are being indicted. This should be a celebratory moment but the two staff face little more than a slap on the wrist if convicted and the surveillance video is missing key footage showing Gynnya being placed in a martial arts hold that may have triggered the heart condition that killed her. However, the video does show a juvenile detention center in crisis, with a staff that demonstrated a clear contempt and indifference towards the young people in their custody.

At the press conference where the planned release of the video was announced, the Justice and Public Safety Secretary had to admit that the video of the time Gynnya spent at Lincoln Village was filled with examples of falsified reports, failed supervision and outright indifference on the part of detention center staff. During less than two days at Lincoln Village, staff failed to do proper checks on Gynnya, placed her in a martial arts hold, delayed administering CPR when they found her unresponsive, ate food intended for her, and lied on reports pertaining to her care.

It is clear by now that corruption, incompetence and abuse are rampant at Lincoln Village Detention Center and within the Juvenile Justice system as a whole. Superintendent Michelle Grady is responsible for holding staff accountable, enforcing proper training and creating a culture of safety for youth in the detention center. She and many of her staff obviously failed to do their job and it may have cost Gynnya her life.

Join us in calling on Governor Bevin to clean house at Lincoln Village Detention Center and fire Supt. Michelle Grady and all staff implicated in misconduct in the Gynnya McMillen investigation.