MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Collectively known as Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools, the youth prison has stood in Wisconsin since the ’70s.
Now, lawmakers say decisions need to be made regarding the closure of the facility.
It’sat least one issue that many State Assembly republicans and democratic Governor Tony Evers agree on.
“We were actually supportive of Governor Evers’ attempt to kind of slow down the closure of Lincoln Hills while the facilities come online,” said state representative John Nygren (R-Marinette). “You can’t lock the doors one day, you know, at Lincoln Hills without having the facilities ready.”
The facilities Nygren is talking about are state and county-run facilities intended to replace Lincoln Hills.
Evers has said in the past that 2021 is not enough time for those smaller facilities to be built.
The state Assembly voted to delay the closure of Lincoln Hills Thursday by six months, from Jan. 1, 2021 to July 1, 2021.
With the passage of the bill, Nygren says the Republican led Joint Finance Committee is taking a closer look at where the youth prison fits in this year’s biennial budget.
“We actually kind of redirected some resources in the budget to those county based facilities because those are the most likely to open sooner,” he explained.
Those resources are equal to about $80 million in bonding for counties to build juvenile facilities, according to Nygren’s chief of staff.
As previously reported, the county-operated facilities would keep the troubled juvenile closer to home, modeling the plan after successful plans in other states.
“I believe it’s a much more productive model so I’m supportive of the concept,” Nygren said.
The proposal now heads to the State Senate.
If the State Senate passes the bill, Evers would have to sign it.
