Wisconsin Assembly to vote on juvenile prison overhaul

MADISON — The latest version of a bipartisan plan to overhaul Wisconsin's juvenile justice system would close the troubled Lincoln Hills prison by 2021.

The bill was scheduled to be voted on Wednesday in the Assembly. It must also pass the Senate, which won't take it up until sometime next month.

As originally introduced the bill would have closed the prison by mid-2020.

Under the bipartisan proposal, the most serious juvenile offenders would remain under state control as they are now. But all other juveniles would be transferred to control of counties.

A council would be created to study juvenile corrections issues and a new grant program would be available for counties to apply for to pay for the cost of establishing new facilities.