The youth prison, which is currently located in northern Wisconsin, is scheduled to have a new home in the Milwaukee area. Governor Tony Evers signed a new law that will put the new facility in Milwaukee County. The move will help to stop sending kids to the facility now located in Lincoln County. That facility has been plagued with numerous problems and conditions for over a decade that it has been in existence. The facility has been targeted to be closed for years off and on. Governor Evers stated, “These kids will be closer to home, their families, and their support networks, so we can set them up for better success both while they are in our care and when they re-enter our communities.”
The two facilities, Lincoln Hill School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls in Irma, will remain open as an adult prison once the new youth prison is complete. That facility could take years to complete. The plan must be approved by the state to construct the new facility in Milwaukee County. Department of Corrections spokesperson John Beard said last week that “all parties need to act with a sense of urgency, because there are many more steps that need to happen” to conduct the plan, including site approval of construction plans by another round of state officials.
Where to place the facility is causing some problems currently as the state wants to place it at the Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center location. That facility is currently used to reintegrate adults into society from prison and many do not want that located moved. Both youth facilities have had a troubled history with taxpayers forking over large legal settlements in the past. Over $19 million dollars was paid out to settle lawsuits and misconduct at the facilities. Federal courts have ordered practices that caused these lawsuits to be revised. The new facility will cost at least $42 million dollars.
The new facility will be a win-win for all because it is needed for the kids especially and everyone else involved.
Leave a Reply