Burkhart first Harlan County jailer elected to KJA board

Published 3:21 pm Wednesday, September 29, 2021

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By Darla Jackson

Harlan County Jailer BJ Burkhart was recently elected to serve on the Kentucky Jailers Association Board of Directors.

Burkhart was nominated and chosen in June at the Kentucky Jailers Association Conference held in Bowling Green.

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Out of 118 jailers in Kentucky, only 20 were chosen to serve on the board of directors. Burkhart is the first jailer from Harlan County ever to be elected to serve on the board.

The KJA Board of Directors meets once a month in various locations around the state to discuss and resolve any issues with Kentucky jails. They communicate with the Kentucky Legislature and advocate for Kentucky jails.

Recently the board advocated for COVID-19 funding for Kentucky jails, which was successfully passed through legislature.