Advocacy Group Calls For Closing Of Lincoln Hills School For Boys

Leaders Advocate For Juvenile Justice System Reform

By
Glen Moberg/WPR

Members of the advocacy group Youth Justice Milwaukee released recommendations Thursday to reform the juvenile justice system. The recommendations included closing the Lincoln Hills School for Boys detention center in Irma.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has also previously called for the closing of the facility, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The school has been laden with controversies, which led to state and federal investigations last fall after allegations of child abuse at the school surfaced. A number of staff members have been fired or resigned in the wake of the investigations.

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The state investigation looking into potential cases of sexual assault and child abuse ended in April, due to a law signed last year by Gov. Scott Walker that put time limits on such cases.

Other recommendations proposed Thursday by Youth Justice Milwaukee included increasing engagement with families of youth who are currently in the juvenile justice system, using data and community stakeholders to increase transparency within the system and increasing public safety by focusing on rehabilitation instead of incarceration.

Sharlen Moore with Youth Justice Milwaukee said Thursday, on a call with reporters, that requests to add money to the state budget to address issues at Lincoln Hills won’t solve the problems.

“According to data that’s been presented,” Moore said. “The information, the stories that have been presented. It doesn’t make sense to put more dollars into a system that is currently not working.”

Nichole Yunk Todd of the advocacy group said control over Lincoln Hills should be given to the state Department of Health Services.

“It needs to not be in the Department of Corrections,” Todd said. “That’s very clear. We would like to close the facilities today but we know that’s not realistic. We know that someone else taking control is absolutely necessary for the interim.”

Milwaukee County Executive spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff said juvenile justice system reform is an issue the county has been working on and closing Lincoln Hills is something they support, but it’s the state’s decision.