FRANKFORT, Ky. — An internal Kentucky Court of Justice email obtained by Barrenside shows the state’s judicial branch is preparing for sweeping staffing cuts and program changes as it faces a projected multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.

The communication was sent Friday to staff of the Kentucky Court of Justice and outlines what Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert describes as a funding gap of up to $12.6 million in fiscal year 2027 and as much as $17 million in 2028.

In the message, Lambert says the shortfall will force the system to “eliminate positions, tighten spending and reorganize services to keep basic court operations running.”

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According to the plan outlined in the communication, 170 positions will be eliminated while 108 new positions will be created for reassignment or hiring beginning Aug. 1, 2026.

An additional 45 probationary employees could also be dismissed if they do not complete their probationary period by that date.

Affected employees are being notified Friday, with those appointed to impacted positions subject to dismissal or layoff effective Aug. 1, 2026, the email said.

The cuts are concentrated within the Office of Statewide Programs, which includes departments responsible for family and juvenile services, specialty courts and pretrial services.

Lambert says in the message that affected employees will be allowed to apply for other positions within the court system and that senior employees will have some protections through the transition process.

At the center of the financial pressure is House Bill 504, part of the state’s budget process. Early versions of the legislation did not include additional funding requested by the courts to address rising operational costs and a long-standing structural deficit the branch says has persisted since at least 2010.

Court officials warned during the budget process that initial proposals could have led to the elimination of specialty courts, including drug court programs used to divert people with substance use disorders, mental health conditions and veterans away from incarceration and into treatment-based supervision.

Those programs are widely viewed by court officials and advocates as key alternatives to jail for some nonviolent offenders.

While later revisions to the budget added approximately $5 million in additional court funding and authorized new revenue tools, court leaders say the changes still fall short of what is needed to stabilize operations.

“While some of this deficit may be mitigated through the generation of additional revenue and vacancy credits, changes are necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the branch,” the email said.

The Administrative Office of the Courts is implementing a systemwide restructuring that will significantly alter staffing levels and internal operations.

Still, the email indicates the restructuring will not be evenly felt across the system.

While court leadership has said it aims to preserve frontline court services in courthouses and clerk’s offices, the reductions are focused heavily on administrative and programmatic functions that support those operations.

The changes come alongside a broader set of cost-cutting measures, including a hiring freeze that will remain in place through at least July 2026, reductions in travel and training budgets, elimination of paid intern programs, cuts to judicial administrative reimbursements, and a shift away from printed legal materials in favor of digital resources.

The court system is also suspending long-standing salary increases tied to years of service beginning in mid-2026, a change officials say reflects previously unfunded commitments that can no longer be sustained. Employees will still receive a 2% pay increase included in the state budget for the next two fiscal years.

The communication does not provide a detailed breakdown of which counties, courts or positions will be most affected by the staffing reductions, nor does it specify how service levels in specialty courts may change once cuts are implemented.

Chief Justice Lambert said the decisions were not made lightly.

“These decisions were not made quickly or lightly,” she said. “They reflect careful review and thoughtful consideration of how best to deliver front-line services while preserving the long-term stability of Kentucky’s court system.”

The email suggests the court system is entering a period of sustained structural reduction rather than temporary belt-tightening, with impacts expected to carry into multiple fiscal years.