(The Center Square) – Just days after a Republican lawmaker said Wisconsin’s prison managers have lost control of the youth prison at Lincoln Hills, there is now an effort to end the facility’s federal consent decree.
More than a dozen Republicans in both the State Senate and State Assembly signed a letter last week to the head of the state’s Department of Corrections, asking him to go to court and “revisit” the decree that limits guards and the Lincoln Hills facility.
“We heard first-hand of extremely dangerous working and living conditions, and a number of violent incidents that have gone unreported to law enforcement and the general public. We have expressed our concerns with safety and Lincoln Hills to the department both publicly and privately,” the lawmakers wrote.
Specifically, the consent decree stops guards at Lincoln Hills from using pepper spray, putting inmates in cells as punishment, using any other kind of restraints other than handcuffs in most situations and keeping even the most serious misbehavior cases in a cell for more than 12 hours.
“The consent decree is directly resulting in more kids being charged with more crimes while in custody and staying in custody longer. This is because the real-world implementation of the consent decree has created an environment where kids have less structure and discipline, giving them more opportunities to act out,” the letter added.
Wisconsin entered into the federal consent decree in 2018 after a series of incidents at Lincoln Hills.
The Republicans want Wisconsin’s corrections secretary to ask a federal judge to change that decree.
“We ask that you petition United States District Court Judge James Peterson, to revisit and revise the consent decree and permanent injunction requirements to enhance safety of staff and inmates at Lincoln Hills and all future Type 1 facilities,” the letter concluded.
Gov. Tony Evers is pushing back against the idea.
The governor said in his own letter to the DOC secretary that changing the consent decree would be harmful.
“In my view, recent efforts requesting the consent decree to be modified and softened, namely by members of the Wisconsin State Legislature, fail to acknowledge or recognize this history and the pattern of neglectful and unlawful behavior that led the state of Wisconsin to be in this position and under a court-ordered consent decree in the first place,” Evers wrote.
A teenage inmate attacked and killed a teacher at Lincoln Hills at the end of June.