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| Wisconsin Lawmakers Push For Juvenile Detention Reform |
| By correctionalnews.com |
| Published: 12/30/2015 |
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IRMA, Wis. — The Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls, both located near Irma, have been in the headlines recently for the alleged use of excessive force by staff and administrators against the juvenile offenders. A Department of Justice investigation into the matter also turned up allegations that certain staff and administrators covered up incidents of abuse by destroying or simply not filing the necessary reports. The facilities house primarily serious youth offenders with histories of abuse. Approximately 10 facility workers were placed on paid leave in mid-December after allegations arose that security staff had been using excessive force on the juvenile inmates in their care. Additionally, both the state’s Juvenile Corrections Administrator Paul Westerhaus, and John Ourada, superintendent of Lincoln Hills School, were relieved of their posts by Department of Corrections Secretary Ed Wall following an almost year-long investigation of the facility. Wall also requested a review of all cases within the last five years that involved force used against a youth in custody. The review is intended to determine if staff would benefit from added training on de-escalation techniques and incident documentation. Following their Dec. 21 visit with youth, staff and administrators at the facilities, State Representatives Mandela Barnes, D-Milwaukee, and Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, are now calling for broad reforms to the state’s juvenile detention and correction system. Goyke, who serve as the ranking member on the state’s Assembly Criminal Justice Committee, and Barnes, the ranking Democrat on the Assembly Corrections Committee, were among the first lawmakers to tour the facility after allegations of abuse and potential criminal behavior first came to light. Read More. |
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