# State penitentiary can withhold Kosher menu under Kentucky open records law  
**Published:** 2026-04-21T00:00:00.000Z  
**Source:** [KY Attorney General Open Records](https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2026/26-ORD-170.pdf)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/state-penitentiary-can-withhold-kosher-menu-under-kentucky-open-records-law

The Kentucky Attorney General's Office has upheld the Kentucky State Penitentiary's decision to deny an inmate's request for a copy of the facility's Kosher menu, according to [an open records decision released April 21](https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2026/26-ORD-170.pdf).

Kentucky law, including the Kentucky Open Records Act and KRS 197.025, governs access to corrections documents. The case involved Jeremy Brooks, an inmate at the penitentiary who requested the Kosher menu in March, stating he was a Kosher inmate entitled to food from that menu.

The penitentiary denied the request, citing KRS 197.025, which states the Department of Corrections is not required to comply with a request for records from an inmate unless the record contains a specific reference to that individual.

The Attorney General's Office found that a document making an indirect reference to an inmate but not specifically referring to that individual by name is subject to the exemption. The office noted it has consistently held that "specific reference" means the record must refer to the inmate requester by name.

Brooks argued on appeal that because he is a Kosher inmate, he should be entitled to the menu that lists the food he is required to eat under Department policies. The Attorney General's Office rejected this argument, finding that the laws governing inmate records strive to balance the public's demand for access with the inmate's privacy and the protection needs of correctional institutions.

The decision is consistent with prior rulings on inmate open records requests. Kentucky law imposes various limitations on records requests submitted by incarcerated individuals under KRS 197.025.

Brooks has 30 days from the decision date to appeal in circuit court. The Attorney General's Office did not address the broader issue of whether the penitentiary provides adequate Kosher meal accommodations to inmates observing Jewish dietary laws.

## Sources

- [KY Attorney General Open Records](https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2026/26-ORD-170.pdf)
- [KentuckyOfficialRecords.com - Information on Kentucky Open Records Act and inmate records](https://kentuckyofficialrecords.com/kentucky-doc-inmate-search/)
- [Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - Kentucky Open Government Guide](https://www.rcfp.org/open-government-guide/kentucky/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Attorney General Open Records, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2026/26-ORD-170.pdf.