Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has ruled that the Department of Corrections violated the state's Open Records Act by failing to provide a detailed explanation for delaying the release of records requested by a woman seeking documents related to her husband's death while in custody at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex.

In decision 26-ORD-315, released July 15, Coleman found that the agency subverted the intent of the act by not establishing that a 49-business-day delay was reasonable.

Ashley Elgin submitted her records request on June 6, 2026, seeking over 100 categories of documents related to her husband, having recently been appointed administratrix of his estate. She sought "all records previously denied, withheld, or redacted" in response to five earlier requests made on privacy grounds. The Department responded on June 15 that it needed additional time under Kentucky law because of the request's voluminous nature, stating the records were not readily available and would require careful review for sensitive security information.

The agency set an August 25 deadline to provide a final response, giving it 49 business days beyond the standard five-day response requirement. However, the Attorney General determined the Department failed to explain why that timeline was necessary. While the agency cited the need to review approximately 2,000 pages of records for sensitive information such as camera locations, security procedures, and personal data about other inmates, Coleman found the Department did not justify why it could only review and redact about 200 pages per week.

"A vague statement about the 'volume' of records potentially responsive to a request is not a 'detailed explanation' under Kentucky law," the decision states. The agency has the burden of proving its delay was reasonable, a standard the Department failed to meet.

The decision comes as multiple inmate deaths at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex have drawn scrutiny, with four deaths occurring over five months and allegations of misconduct under investigation.