Lawmakers should address Lincoln Hills scandal

It is being called a crisis. And that seems an understatement. The Lincoln Hills School for Boys is under a federal investigation into allegations of abuse of sexual assaults. But still, the state is doing nothing to address the problem. And the legislature isn’t likely to do make any much needed changes to the troubled facility anytime soon. The legislature has adjourned for the year, with lawmakers more interested in campaigning than governing. State Senator Lena Taylor is calling on Governor Walker to call a special session of the legislature to address the state’s juvenile correction crisis. That seems a better use of our lawmakers time than hitting the campaign trail. Taylor also has some good ideas for making changes. She is calling for the elimination of solitary confinement for juvenile prisoners. And she wants the entire Division of Juvenile Corrections to be transferred from the Department of Corrections to the Department of Children and Families. She argues we may do a better job rehabilitating these juvenile offenders if we treated them more like troubled teens than hardened criminals. We shouldn’t be coddling kids who run afoul of the law, but we also shouldn’t be slamming their feet in jail cell doors so hard that toes have to be amputated. Our lawmakers should cancel their fundraisers, and get back to Madison to address this crisis before it turns into a full-blown scandal.