Opening of a new juvenile facility in Milwaukee County is a step toward the long-time goal of closing the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lakes Schools in Lincoln County.
The youth prisons in Lincoln County are to transition to adult prisons once new juvenile capacity comes online in the state.
Opening of the Southeast Regional Care Center for Youth in Milwaukee was celebrated Wednesday.
The facility is designed to keep kids closer to home, while helping with mentorship, education, and treatment.
It’s part of a statewide corrections realignment plan.
“This new facility marks a historic milestone for our state and is the beginning of what I hope is a real, meaningful transformation of not only juvenile corrections in our state but of corrections in Wisconsin,” said Gov. Tony Evers. “Not only will this new facility allow us to safely move our kids closer to their homes, their families, and their support systems, but it will give kids and families hope for a brighter future”
Governor Tony Evers said we need to modernize our corrections system.
“Our state is decades behind in how we think about corrections, and this new facility is the first step, but it is only a step,” said Evers.“We must continue our work to modernize our corrections system into the 21st Century and close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake schools for good.”
After a 2015 raid found many problems, Wisconsin Act 185 called for Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake to be closed as youth facilities and to build new, smaller, regional facilities to replace the schools.
That would ensure youth can receive treatment closer to their homes and their family and community support systems.
