WAUWATOSA, Wis (MetroSource-WSAU) The Milwaukee County Juvenile Detention Center is facing what some are calling a crisis. An internal memo revealed the Wauwatosa facility has been dealing with staffing shortages and overcrowding.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that many corrections officers have been turned down for time off and have been working mandatory 12-hour shifts. JS-online quotes from an internal memo from Milwaukee County Health and Human Services Director Hector Colon that says “…combined with overcrowding conditions, this environment can create a heightened risk of incidents.”
The juvenile center has been over capacity for 33 days since January 1.
Milwaukee County officials regularly object to sending juvenile offenders to Lincoln Hills in Irma because of an ongoing state and FBI investigation there. That investigation includes allegation of physical and sexual abuse of inmates and may include broader civil rights violations for a system of abusive behavior. At least two federal grand juries have been impaneled to hear witnesses and to review evidence.
At least 49 Milwaukee-area youths have been transferred out of Lincoln Hills to Milwaukee County’s facility this year.
