Union Rep: Lincoln Hills Staff Fear Sunday Violence May Occur Again

A union representative for Wisconsin’s Lincoln Hills School for Boys said two attacks by inmates Sunday may have been a practice run for a planned prison riot.

Five guards were injured in the assaults. Union representative Doug Curtis said one of the guards is in a full leg cast and may require knee surgery.

He said prison staff have heard rumors the inmates are planning further actions.

“It sounds like something is being planned. Something is in the works. What that something is, I don’t know. It could possibly be a planned riot,” Curtis said.

Following the attacks, Gov. Scott Walker ordered that an interim superintendent be hired at Lincoln Hills and the adjoining Copper Lake School for Girls.

Walker sent a letter Tuesday to state Department of Corrections Secretary Jon Litscher ordering him to hire the interim leader. The post has been vacant since September. Litscher just last week said the youth prisons were safe for both guards and inmates.

Lincoln Hills remains under a federal investigation into abuse of inmates by guards.

On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered an unscheduled update on conditions at the facility following the recent reports of assault.

U.S. District Judge James Peterson gave Walker’s administration and those who filed a lawsuit challenging disciplinary tactics at the prison to report back by Friday, Nov. 10.

Peterson in July ordered the prison to reduce its use of pepper spray, solitary confinement and shackles on the inmates. Walker’s administration told the judge earlier this month it was making progress toward fulfilling the order, but “significant unrest” made it difficult to implement fully.

Last week a pair of state lawmakers asked Peterson to reverse his order, citing complaints from staff that it had led to an increase in violence.

Curtis said the youth prison has become more dangerous since Peterson restricted the use of solitary confinement, pepper spray and handcuffs in July.

“Since the injunction we can’t put them in shackles and handcuffs,” Curtis said. “We have to let the most violent students we have walk around like there’s nothing wrong.”

Curtis said he doesn’t believe the DOC is doing enough.

“Management in Madison and Lincoln Hills do not care about the safety of their employees,” Curtis said. “They’ll say that they’re concerned, but their words in a sack are worth a sack. Actions speak louder than words, and we haven’t seen much in the way of action,” he said.

DOC spokesman Tristan Cook did not return requests for comment by deadline.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4:24 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, with reporting by WPR.