Milwaukee's mayor calls Lincoln Hills a "mistake," offers alternative plan



MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is now urging the state to close the controversial youth prison in northern Wisconsin. State and federal investigators have been looking into abuse allegations at Lincoln Hills School for Boys since late last year. The mayor is now offering an alternative plan for troubled juveniles.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett



Calling Lincoln Hills a "mistake," Barrett said on Wednesday, July 13th that the state needs to admit the troubled youth prison is beyond repair.

"There has not been any sort of leadership out of the governor's office whatsoever," Barrett said.

The solution, Barrett said, is to reopen Ethan Allen School for Boys in Waukesha County.

"It's much closer to Milwaukee. It's closer to Racine. It's closer to Beloit. It's closer to Madison. Unfortunately, a lot of the kids that are there are from these communities," Barrett said.



Gov. Scott Walker shut down Ethan Allen in 2011 -- sending all young male offenders in Wisconsin to Lincoln Hills near Wausau.

"So to require them and their families to travel hundreds of miles and to have staff that is not really acclimated to the challenges that we have in southeastern Wisconsin, I think was a mistake," Barrett said.

Lincoln Hills School



A spokesman for the Department of Corrections said in a statement:

"DOC is currently reviewing various options to continue its transformation of the juvenile justice system. At this point, no decisions have been made."


Health and Human Services Director Hector Colon



At Monday's meeting of the Milwaukee Common Council's Public Safety Committee, Health and Human Services Director Hector Colon also pushed for more local treatment-oriented centers. Colon oversees Milwaukee County's juvenile detention facility -- which has become increasingly overcrowded because judges no longer want to send kids to Lincoln Hills.

"Once we get a kid into the criminal justice system, recidivism isn't good for them -- so we believe more effective interventions through these smaller community-based facilities is a better approach to take," Colon said.

Colon said these local facilities would require new legislation and additional costs upfront. But they would save taxpayers money in the long-run. Colon and the mayor have been in contact with the state.