Ky. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 197
Kentucky Revised Statutes

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 197.025 (2026)

Restrictions on access to inmate and facility records -- Appeal procedure --

✓ current as of May 2026
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Restrictions on access to policies and procedure.

(1) KRS 61.870 to 61.884 to the contrary notwithstanding, no person shall have access to any records if the disclosure is deemed by the commissioner of the department or his designee to constitute a threat to the security of the inmate, any other inmate, correctional staff, the institution, or any other person.

(2) KRS 61.870 to 61.884 to the contrary notwithstanding, the department shall not be required to comply with a request for any record from any inmate confined in a jail or any facility or any individual on active supervision under the jurisdiction of the department, unless the request is for a record which contains a specific reference to that individual.

(3) KRS 61.870 to 61.884 to the contrary notwithstanding, all persons confined in a penal facility shall challenge any denial of an open record with the Attorney General by mailing or otherwise sending the appropriate documents to the Attorney General within twenty (20) days of the denial pursuant to the procedures set out in KRS 61.880(2) before an appeal can be filed in a Circuit Court.

(4) KRS 61.870 to 61.884 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Department of Corrections shall refuse to accept the hand delivery of an open records request from a confined inmate.

(5) KRS 61.870 to 61.884 to the contrary notwithstanding, all records containing information expunged pursuant to law shall not be open to the public.

(6) The policies and procedures or administrative regulations of the department which address the security and control of inmates and penitentiaries shall not be accessible to the public or inmates. The Administrative Regulations Review Subcommittee's review process for any of these policies and procedures or administrative regulations, which may be filed with the regulations compiler, shall be conducted in closed sessions and held confidential.

(7) KRS 61.870 to 61.884 to the contrary notwithstanding, upon receipt of a request for any record, the department shall respond to the request within five (5) days after receipt of the request, excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, and state whether the record may be inspected or may not be inspected, or that the record is unavailable and when the record is expected to be available. Effective: June 26, 2007 History: Amended 2007 Ky. Acts ch. 139, sec. 8, effective June 26, 2007. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 11, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 345, sec. 2, effective July 14, 2000. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 406, sec. 4, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 334, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1996. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 418, sec. 4, effective July 15, 1994. – Amended 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 211, sec. 45, effective July 14, 1992; and ch. 445, sec. 6, effective July 14, 1992. -- Created 1990 Ky. Acts ch. 497, sec. 22, effective July 13, 1990.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 2008–2025 · leading case: Commonwealth, Dep't of Corr. v. Chestnut, 250 S.W.3d 655 (Ky. 2008).
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Commonwealth, Dep't of Corr. v. Chestnut, 250 S.W.3d 655 (Ky. 2008). · cites it 12× “” So, other than the exception found at KRS 197.025, which we will discuss more fully later in this opinion, the open records laws identify no class or type of persons, even prisoners, who are held to a more stringent standard when submitting open records requests.”
Commonwealth of Kentucky, Just. & Pub. Saf. Cabinet, Dep't of Corr. v. Dawn Crawford (Ky. Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 24× “After reviewing the applicable statutory authority, the circuit court held that KRS 197.025 does not vest sole authority in the Commissioner to determine whether disclosure of a responsive record would pose “a threat to the security of the inmate, any other inmates, correctional…”
Salinas v. Correct Care Solutions, LLC, 559 S.W.3d 853 (Ky. Ct. App. 2018). “880 and KRS 197.025. The OAG notified Correct Care about the appeal.”
James Harrison v. Fulton Cnty. Det. Ctr. (Ky. Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 5× “The FCDC denied the request based upon KRS 197.025(2) because the records did not specifically pertain to Harrison.”
Valentine v. Pers. Cabinet, Com., 322 S.W.3d 505 (Ky. Ct. App. 2010). “The Attorney General then determined that the Cabinet had wrongfully relied upon KRS 197.025 when it told Valentine that “the Department of Corrections is not required to comply with a request for any record from any inmate .”
Pennington v. Crews (W.D. Ky. 2025). · cites it 2× “Here, Defendants cite to section 197.025 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes, prohibiting any person from accessing any records if the disclosure of such records is deemed a threat to the security of the inmate, any other inmate, correctional staff, the institution, or any other…”
James Harrison v. Cabinet for Health & Fam. Servs. (Ky. Ct. App. 2022). “2 KRS 197.025(2) states, the Department of Corrections “shall not be required to comply with a request for any record from any inmate confined in a jail or any facility or any individual on active supervision under the jurisdiction of the department, unless the request is for a…”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 197.025(1) — 2 cases
Commonwealth, Dep't of Corr. v. Chestnut, 250 S.W.3d 655 (Ky. 2008). “” So, other than the exception found at KRS 197.025, which we will discuss more fully later in this opinion, the open records laws identify no class or type of persons, even prisoners, who are held to a more stringent standard when submitting open records requests.”
Commonwealth of Kentucky, Just. & Pub. Saf. Cabinet, Dep't of Corr. v. Dawn Crawford (Ky. Ct. App. 2025). “After reviewing the applicable statutory authority, the circuit court held that KRS 197.025 does not vest sole authority in the Commissioner to determine whether disclosure of a responsive record would pose “a threat to the security of the inmate, any other inmates, correctional…”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 197.025(2) — 3 cases
Commonwealth, Dep't of Corr. v. Chestnut, 250 S.W.3d 655 (Ky. 2008). “” So, other than the exception found at KRS 197.025, which we will discuss more fully later in this opinion, the open records laws identify no class or type of persons, even prisoners, who are held to a more stringent standard when submitting open records requests.”
James Harrison v. Fulton Cnty. Det. Ctr. (Ky. Ct. App. 2022). “The FCDC denied the request based upon KRS 197.025(2) because the records did not specifically pertain to Harrison.”
James Harrison v. Cabinet for Health & Fam. Servs. (Ky. Ct. App. 2022). “2 KRS 197.025(2) states, the Department of Corrections “shall not be required to comply with a request for any record from any inmate confined in a jail or any facility or any individual on active supervision under the jurisdiction of the department, unless the request is for a…”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 197.025(6) — 1 case
Commonwealth of Kentucky, Just. & Pub. Saf. Cabinet, Dep't of Corr. v. Dawn Crawford (Ky. Ct. App. 2025). “After reviewing the applicable statutory authority, the circuit court held that KRS 197.025 does not vest sole authority in the Commissioner to determine whether disclosure of a responsive record would pose “a threat to the security of the inmate, any other inmates, correctional…”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 197.025(7) — 1 case
Commonwealth of Kentucky, Just. & Pub. Saf. Cabinet, Dep't of Corr. v. Dawn Crawford (Ky. Ct. App. 2025). “After reviewing the applicable statutory authority, the circuit court held that KRS 197.025 does not vest sole authority in the Commissioner to determine whether disclosure of a responsive record would pose “a threat to the security of the inmate, any other inmates, correctional…”
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