Mission Statement
The mission of Morehead Youth Development Center is to prepare youth, through treatment, education, social and physical experiences, for successful transition into the community and future employment. Morehead will be creating a safe, supportive environment that will nurture the development of self-control and self-respect within the juvenile.
About Morehead Youth Development Center
Morehead Youth Development center is a 40-bed campus that serves female-only juveniles for the entire state of Kentucky. It is also the home of an alternative to detention program, which consists of twenty beds, which allows juveniles who are awaiting trial conclusion to be held in a non-detention setting.
The building was constructed in 1956 to serve as a war orphanage. Females were always housed at the facility, and it transferred to the department in 1996. The facility offers a variety of programs for juveniles to gain important skills and tools to better equip themselves to become contributing members of their community in the future.
Bed Capacity: 40
Facility Construction Date: 1956
Visitation Info
Visitation is on Saturday and Sunday 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Weekly Zoom calls and weekly phone calls are also available for anyone unable to visit in person. Visitation during the week is available under certain situations. Please contact the facility for more information.
John Hallock, Superintendent
John Hallock has served as superintendent at Morehead Youth Development Center since May 2026. In this role, he oversees the facility’s daily operations, ensuring juveniles receive proper care and staff uphold the department’s mission and required policies.
Hallock brings more than two decades of corrections experience to the department. After beginning his career in law enforcement in 1993, Hallock joined the United States Bureau of Prisons as a correctional worker before being promoted correctional program specialist. He then advanced through the reentry division, working at every security level and mission in the Bureau of Prisons at facilities in Oregon, Arizona and Kentucky, as well as administrative regional and central offices. Hallock went on to serve as chief chaplain at three federal prisons and later as acting chief for the bureau. During this time, he also held roles as acting lieutenant and acting associate warden and served on ACA and PREA audit teams. He retired from the Bureau of Prisons after serving as chaplaincy services coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regional Offices. In 2025, Hallock joined the Kentucky Department of Corrections as a probation and parole officer, helping monitor and supervise probationers and parolees in the commonwealth.
Hallock holds a Bachelor of Science in management from Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska, and a Master of Divinity from George Fox Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
495 Forest Hills Drive
Morehead, Kentucky 40351
Phone: (606) 783-8565