Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

newsMilwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!

Advertisement
Advertisement



  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • On the Block
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • Calendar
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

Sunday, April 22, 2018

You are here: Home / Posts from Community / Wisconsin Dept. of Corrections will close youth prisons in wake of unconstitutional use of solitary confinement, other inhumane conditions

Wisconsin Dept. of Corrections will close youth prisons in wake of unconstitutional use of solitary confinement, other inhumane conditions

January 4, 2018 by ACLU of Wisconsin Leave a Comment

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Google+
Google+
Email this to someone
email

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections announced today that it will be closing the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake state-run youth correctional facilities in Irma. The decision comes following an injunction secured by the ACLU of Wisconsin and Juvenile Law Center (with pro-bono assistance from Quarles & Brady) through a class action civil rights lawsuit in federal court centered on the use of solitary confinement, pepper spray, shackling, and strip searches of children. The suit was filed on behalf of youth confined in the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and the Copper Lake School for Girls. The facilities had previously been under federal investigation for a range of abuses and violations of constitutional treatment of the youth.

“The closing of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake today is fantastic news,” said Jessica Feierman, associate director of Juvenile Law Center. “This is a huge step forward for Wisconsin.  We are relieved that the state is moving away from a model that just doesn’t work — large youth prisons that violate the Constitution and are dangerous to youth.  The task now is to ensure that youth are placed at home or in the most family-like settings possible, and provided with the positive supports and services they deserve.”

Children at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake were routinely placed in solitary confinement, put in mechanical restraints, pepper-sprayed, and strip searched. These facilities incarcerate approximately 150-200 children as young as 14 years old.  Prior to state and federal raids on the facility in December 2015, staff also regularly physically abused youth in the facility, even breaking their arms and legs in some cases. Horrific conditions persisted-approximately 15 to 20% percent the young residents are confined in seven by ten foot solitary confinement cells for 22 or 23 hours per day.

The closing of the facilities will not be immediate, according to the Department of Corrections. The plan is to move youth to several facilities closer to most of their homes in Southeast Wisconsin.

“While this is a step in the right direction, we will continue to pay attention to how young people are treated while they are being moved from the current facilities,” said Larry Dupuis, legal director of ACLU of Wisconsin. “Our lawsuit is against the Department of Corrections officials – not just LHS/CLS – and we will continue to fight to ensure that any resolution of our lawsuit protects these children where they are now as well as at the new facilities.”

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Google+
Google+
Email this to someone
email

Related

Filed Under: Posts from Community

About ACLU of Wisconsin

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

 

“The Long March to Freedom” now available as e-book

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service has created a downloadable version of “The Long March to Freedom,” a compilation of 15 in-depth articles and profiles commemorating the 50th anniversary of the open housing marches in Milwaukee in 1967-68.

Upcoming Events

  1. Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers host Health Equity Summit

    April 26 @ 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
  2. Brain, Brawn & Body present “Pre-Father’s Day” Celebration

    June 16 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

View All Events

Advertisement

How To …

How to talk to your children about sexual assault

How to talk to your children about sexual assault

A local counselor shares tips on how to talk to kids of all ages about staying safe.

More "How To" articles

Connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Most Popular

  • Sounding the alarm on inner-city transit
  • Foundations say neighborhoods need more public funding to fight crime
  • Community members react to announcement of MPS superintendent’s departure
  • Special report: Disorganization hampers city effort to replace lead water service lines at child care centers
  • Controversy increases over shuttered Mitchell Street Social Security office
Advertisement

Links

  • MPS board meeting about a $38.7 million budget hole ends after 7 hours and 1 ‘go to hell’
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: jsonline.com FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • Wisconsin civil rights leader Vel Phillips dies at age 94
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: WPR Wisconsin Public Radio FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • As funding wanes, bus routes connecting Milwaukeeans with suburban jobs may disappear
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • Walker signs bill sought by landlords
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: urbanmilwaukee.COM FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • Here’s the lineup for Milwaukee’s 3rd annual black restaurant week
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: milwaukeemag.com FacebookTwitterGoogle+email Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Share on Google+

    Google+

    Email this to someone

    email

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Google+
    Google+
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

Compiled by Andrea Waxman

Milwaukee NNS on Instagram

Follow on Instagram

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • On The Block
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story
  • Calendar

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2018 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2018 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in