More plans to replace Lincoln Hills needed

Sometimes things take a lot longer than they should. That is the case with plans to reform how Wisconsin incarcerates the most troubled juvenile lawbreakers. The Wisconsin Legislature has spent the last five years making plans to close the troubled Lincoln Hills School for Boys. Even though our elected officials have dragged their feet on coming up with a plan to replace Lincoln Hills, the urgency to do so remains. There have been physical and sexual assault of inmates by prison staff, as well as attacks on guards by inmates. Things got so bad a few years ago it led to an FBI investigation and the state has spent some $25 million in legal fees and settlements with residents. The state voted back in 2018 to close Lincoln Hills, but couldn’t come up with a better site for a youth prison, or how to pay for it. Finally, that has changed. The Wisconsin Legislature has voted unanimously to spend $42 million to build a new facility in Milwaukee County. It shouldn’t have taken this long, but it is good to see the state finally taking this needed action. The new youth prison should also include better policies for dealing with inmates. There have been too many reports of excessive use of force by prison staff. Wisconsin taxpayers will likely again be on the hook for even more lawsuits if more changes aren’t made in how we treat our most troubled youth.