Opinion
Opinion By: Daniel Cameron,Attorney General;Marc Manley,Assistant Attorney General
Open Records Decision
On June 3, 2020, Clester Mullins ("Appellant"), an inmate at the Complex, requested that the Complex provide a copy of a JPay email he received from a private party. In a timely response, the Complex denied the request. This appeal followed.
Since the initiation of this appeal, this Office issued a decision finding that JPay emails exchanged between inmates and private parties generally are not "public records" within the meaning of KRS 61.870(2). See 20-ORD-109 (copy enclosed). The JPay emails Appellant has requested were neither sent to nor received by the Complex or any other public agency. There is also no evidence in the record that suggests the Complex has used these emails for any administrative purpose to bring them within the statutory definition of a "public record." KRS 61.870(2). Accordingly, the JPay emails Appellant has requested are not public records and the Complex did not violate the Act by denying the request.
A party aggrieved by this decision may appeal it by initiating action in the appropriate circuit court pursuant to KRS 61.880(5) and KRS 61.882. Pursuant to KRS 61.880(3), the Attorney General shall be notified of any action in circuit court, but shall not be named as a party in that action or in any subsequent proceedings.