Kennedy Thomas Email and Phone Number

Kentucky Drug Court is a supervised program that successfully combines a strong treatment component with the legal weight of law enforcement. While components of the Drug Court program have long existed separately, in the criminal justice system, this approach was the first to bring all elements together in a non-adversarial environment. Drug Court seeks treatment and rehabilitation as opposed to incarceration which reduces both addiction and drug-related crime, while also providing services at about 10% of the cost of incarceration. As program supervisor, I administer drug court and am responsible for the day to day operations, assisting in training, performing assessments, coordinating with community agencies, and acting as a liaison between participants and community partners.

My job is to prevent delinquency among Kentucky’s youth by providing education, treatment and accountability through statewide delivery of coordinated services. I maintain a caseload, interview youth in custody, and help parents find local resources for families with children who are at-risk. In January 2014, I created a multi-faceted workshop for at-risk youth in Jefferson County called the Prevention and Education Plan, or PEP Rally, to provide education and awareness regarding topics such as safe sex, healthy relationships/dating, budgeting to move out, drug and alcohol awareness, and mindfulness meditation. Since relocating to Warren County, I plan to implement this program here and encourage CDW's statewide to help expand this opportunity for youth.

As a graduate assistant, I work under the Director of the Master of Public Administration program to assist in research regarding participatory budgeting. I also seek to meet the clerical needs of the Office of Political Science and professors in both departments. I transcribe interviews, review case files, and maintain the Department of Political Science program's and the MPA program's LinkedIn accounts.

As a judicial assistant, I began by working in circuit court preforming secretarial duties such as maintaining court calendars, answering phones, and data entry. I have experience working for a number of judges in circuit, district and family courts. A transfer to Family Court allowed for me to expand my responsibilities by maintaining the docket, reviewing and editing court orders, scheduling hearings, and auditing pro se divorce cases.