Welcome to the Harlan County Detention Center

TAKING WHAT HE HAD LEARNED FROM
THE PAST WHILE STILL REALIZING A
NEED TO MODERNIZE INTO THE
FUTURE...
HARLAN COUNTY JAILER
BJ BURKHART
HAS CARVED A PATH FORWARD FOR
THE DETENTION CENTER AS IT ENTERS
A NEW AGE.
HIS 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT THE
SAME FACILITY & SERVING UNDER 2
SEPARATE JAILERS HAS ENABLED HIM A
RARE PERSPECTIVE.

HIS GOAL AS JAILER: TRY TO FIND THE PERFECT BALANCE.
THE BALANCE BETWEEN ADDING NEW TECHNOLOGIES WHILE STILL HOLDING ON
TO AN OLD-FASHIONED APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC.
THE BALANCE OF BEING STEADFAST TO WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW WITH A
WILLINGNESS TO ADAPT IF A NEW WAY WORKS BETTER. BEING OPEN TO CHANGE.
THE MOUNTAIN WAY OF JUST APPLYING GOOD COMMON SENSE.
THE BALANCE OF A MODERN APPROACH TO SECURITY ALONGSIDE AN EAGERNESS
TO SEE THE LIMITATIONS OF JUST HOW MUCH OF A POSITIVE EFFECT CAN BE
MADE ON OFFENDERS BEFORE REENTERING THE COMMUNITY.
THROUGH EDUCATION, THROUGH PROGRAMMING, THROUGH HARD WORK,
THROUGH FAITH AND A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
BJ'S APPROACH TO BALANCE HAS BROUGHT THE FACILITIES OPERATION COSTS TO
ITS LOWEST EVER. WITH A BUDGET OF $2.8 MILLION DOLLARS YEARLY. IT
HAS NOW BEEN VERIFIED THAT DURING HIS TENURE AS JAILER FROM YEARS 2015
TO 2022, OVER 7 YEARS, BURKHART HAS MANAGED TO GENERATE ENOUGH
REVENUE TO PAY BACK TO THE COUNTY NEARLY
90% OF ALL TAXPAYER COST
BUDGETED FOR JAIL OPERATIONS.
THE FINDING OF THE MOST RECENT STATE PERFORMED AUDIT REVEALED FOR
YEAR ENDING 2020 THAT THE DETENTION CENTER TO HAVE THE CLEANEST AND
MOST TRANSPARENT AUDIT IN THE DETENTION CENTER'S HISTORY.
THE RESULTS HAVE LED TO THE HARLAN FACILITY TO BE VIEWED AMONG PEERS
AND COLLEAGUES AS A MODEL DETENTION CENTER OF THE COMMOMWEALTH. A
REPUTATION THAT BURKHART IS EAGER TO MAINTAIN IN THE YEARS AHEAD.