Lawmakers Propose Delaying Youth Prison Closure By 6 Months

State lawmakers met Wednesday to discuss moving back the deadline for closing Wisconsin’s embattled youth prison, Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake.

Under the bipartisan proposal, the youth prison’s closing date would be pushed back six months, from Jan. 1, 2021, to July 1, 2021.

Changing that deadline has been controversial at the Capitol. Gov. Tony Evers says the state needs even more time.

Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, one of the bill’s sponsors, said Wednesday the deadline will provide necessary motivation for state officials. He joked some government projects can move “at the speed of a snail.”

“Well, this is what we need,” Wanggaard said. “We need a sense of urgency that everybody feels so that we get this timeline rolling.”

Sarah Diedrick-Kasdorf of the Wisconsin Counties Association also spoke in support of the bill during Wednesday’s public hearing. She said counties applying to build new prisons need more time to prepare their applications.

“We could end up with very few counties submitting applications, leaving us, I think, in a crisis when Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake closes and we don’t have county facilities in which to place youth,” she said.

The governor’s spokeswoman said Wednesday he is “giving (the bill) careful consideration as it moves through the legislative process and is committed to working with the legislature on reforming our youth justice system.”

Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake have been marked by reports of inmate abuse and neglect for years. A study released earlier this year shows the prison is continuing to use solitary confinement and pepper spray, despite court orders.