Gov. Walker open to having state help pay for new juvenile corrections center

Officials want Milwaukee facility so families can more easily visit

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker says he’s open to having the state help pay for a new juvenile corrections center in Milwaukee County. 

Currently, the state’s two secure juvenile facilities share a campus north of Wausau. Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls have been under criminal investigation for allegations of prisoner abuse and child neglect. 

Milwaukee County officials want to keep juvenile offenders closer to home, instead of sending them 200 miles away where it’s difficult for families to visit. 

The Republican governor says the county would be responsible for the cost of operating a new facility, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  Counties receive state aid to help pay for the cost of juvenile corrections. 

Counties are billed about $292 a day per offender when they send offenders to Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake. That’s much more expensive than keeping them in their communities, but judges have few options for the most dangerous and troubled teen offenders.

Any state funding for a new juvenile center would need support from Republicans, who control the Legislature.