Madisonville is Home to New State Law Enforcement Training Campus

A new $50 million training facility will soon serve western Kentucky law enforcement agencies in their own backyard.

The Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) recently broke ground on a new training center in Madisonville, scheduled for completion in late 2027. It will allow new recruits from western Kentucky to train closer to home, eliminating long commutes to the training center in Richmond. The new facility will support two classes of 30 officers each simultaneously and potentially graduate four classes annually.

“Madisonville is a perfect location to expand the Department of Criminal Justice Training, and our city is thrilled to welcome officers from around the state who are pursuing their training here,” Madisonville Mayor Kevin Cotton said.

The campus, named the Department of Criminal Justice Training West: Gaines-Brown Campus, will include two buildings: the Peanut Gaines High Bay Building and the J. Michael Brown Administration Building. Both buildings will provide modern training, classroom, and fitness space for recruits. Gaines was the longest-serving sheriff in Warren County history and one of the longest-serving in the commonwealth, holding office from 1978 to 1982 and again from 1987 to 2018. Brown became the first Black Kentuckian to serve as secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

The recently approved 2026–2028 state budget includes $13.1 million for a driving track at the facility, along with funding to increase the annual law enforcement training stipend to $4,746 by 2028.

In addition to being convenient for law enforcement agencies, the center will also boost the local economy by creating 20 full-time jobs in the Madisonville area, with an average salary of $60,000.