Corrections Secretary Steps Down Amid Abuse Investigation At State Youth Prison

Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Ed Wall has resigned amid an investigation into allegations of abuse at the state’s youth prison.

Gov. Scott Walker announced a replacement Friday, a day after news emerged that a judge sent a letter four years ago warning the governor of possible criminal conduct at the Lincoln Hills facility in Irma.

Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said the governor never saw the note and that it had been referred to the Corrections Department.

The governor’s staff said Wall submitted his letter of resignation on Feb. 5. In it, he writes that under his leadership, the DOC began to reduce the use of solitary confinement, “improved mental health care and responded to the ever changing philosophy of corrections reform.”

So far more than a dozen staff at Lincoln Hills have been suspended and others have resigned or been fired. The union that represents staff at the center began calling for Wall to step down soon after the investigation was launched in December.

Union leaders claim Wall refused to respond to staff concerns about how the school was being run. But neither the governor nor Wall mentioned Lincoln Hills in Friday’s announcement of the leadership change.

Wall will be replaced by Jon Litscher, who served as the corrections secretary more than a decade ago.

The FBI also announced Friday that it was taking charge of the investigation into the Lincoln Hills case.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include original reporting.