A former Wisconsin youth prison inmate has filed a federal lawsuit alleging staff ignored signs that she was contemplating suicide and failed to prevent her from hanging herself.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, is the second federal action involving the prison in a week. Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit on Jan. 23 alleging guards needlessly pepper spray inmates and place them in solitary confinement.
The new lawsuit alleges the girl told prison staff she was having suicidal thoughts in Oct. 2015. She hung herself in her cell that November. Guards saved her but she suffered a brain injury and will require around-the-clock care the rest of her life.
News with a little more humanity
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
The lawsuit alleges the staff’s indifference amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.
A state Department of Corrections spokesman didn’t immediately return a message.
© Copyright 2025 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
