The Kentucky Jailers Association Summer Conference will bring hundreds of jailers, deputy jailers, vendors, and corrections professionals to Owensboro this week for several days of training, networking, and professional development.
Daviess County Jailer Art Maglinger said more than 280 jailers and deputy jailers have registered for the conference, along with 66 vendors representing about 112 people. The conference will run four days, with jailers arriving Sunday for check-in before training and presentations begin Monday.
“We’re excited to host,” Maglinger said. “I get overwhelming feedback from the jailers that they love Owensboro and love coming here, so I’m really proud to host.”
Maglinger said the Kentucky Jailers Association was established around 1980 as part of an effort to professionalize the role of jailer across the state. He said the association has become more unified over the years, with jailers from across Kentucky gathering for conferences that combine training, camaraderie, and networking.
Owensboro hosted the association’s fall conference in 2023, which Maglinger said was the first time in about 20 years that the event had returned to the city. He said Owensboro had not hosted for several years after the Executive Inn was torn down and before the city rebuilt its downtown hotel presence.
The association holds summer and fall conferences, though Maglinger said election years include a winter conference instead of a fall conference to provide 40 hours of training for newly elected jailers.
This year’s conference will include jailers and deputy jailers from across the state, including representatives from larger facilities in Louisville and Lexington. Maglinger said Daviess County command staff and deputies will attend throughout the week, with some supervisors and deputies taking part in specific training sessions tied to their responsibilities.
The opening ceremony will include the Kentucky State Police Honor Guard and a presentation from David “Oz” Osborne, who was shot in the line of duty.
The conference will also feature presenters from across the country, including motivational speakers, law enforcement officials, and corrections leaders. Topics will include leadership, strategic communications, line-of-duty deaths involving corrections officers, firearms, medical care, mental health, opioid-related issues, and training for jailers from counties without full-service jails.
Maglinger said the conference gives jailers a chance to share ideas and discuss common challenges facing county jails across Kentucky.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie that goes on,” he said. “It’s stressful, so there is also some time just to fellowship in the downtime.”
Maglinger said mental health remains a major topic for county jails, both for inmates and for the deputy jailers who work in those facilities. He said opioid-related issues and medical care also continue to be major challenges for jails across the state.
The conference will also include breakout sessions Tuesday and Wednesday, allowing attendees to focus on topics related to their specific roles.
Maglinger said vendors will have opportunities to network with jailers throughout the week, including during evening hospitality events. He said attendees will also have an opportunity to see the Daviess County Detention Center, though that will have to be coordinated around the training schedule.
Maglinger said hosting the conference is a point of pride for Daviess County, especially because of the relationships he has built with jailers from across the state.
He said Owensboro is already scheduled to host the association’s summer conference again in 2027.
“It’s a good time of camaraderie and training and networking,” Maglinger said.
