Okay, then you're going to have to stay until I come get you.
Okay.
Sorry.
No worries.
My kid.
Well, found that.
In the wake of the death of a guard at the Lincoln Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility
for the earlier this summer, for which two youths there have been charged,
a federal judge this week declined to allow the continued use of pepper spray
to restrain incarcerated juveniles.
A legal order following abuse of juveniles over years at Lincoln Hills
prohibits the use of pepper spray, mechanical restraints, and solitary confinement.
But weren't the Northern Wisconsin Juvenile Correctional Facility supposed to close
and new ones be built?
We turn to Democratic State Senator Latanya Johnson of Milwaukee,
ranking member of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and member
of Joint Finance and Senator.
Thanks very much for being here.
Thank you for having me.
So the juvenile facilities for boys and girls in Wisconsin seem to be places of
despair and danger.
What has taken so long to close them?
Well, what's taken an exceptionally long time is the fact that
Joint Finance Committee refuses to release all of the funds that are needed
to build these facilities in order to close Lincoln Hills.
For example, they made their first request in 2019 in October,
December, November, no response.
Then it was finally denied in February 2020,
and that was for about $73 million to create two type one facilities.
In order for Lincoln Hills to close.
We should mention that we did invite a Republican member of Joint Finance,
Senator Mary Felskowski to join this discussion, but we did not hear back.
But to you, after the councilor was killed there this summer,
there were calls to reinstate the use of pepper spray to restrain juveniles.
What's your position on that?
What we do know is that there's a consent degree in place that prevents
them or prevents or limits the use of their use of pepper spray.
And that was enacted because earlier in like 2015,
Lincoln Hills was raided by both the Department of Justice and the FBI.
And it was known that there was an overuse of pepper spray of con,
um, solitary confinement. And as part of the consent degree,
those things were eliminated. Um, so.
I don't really have an opinion on whether those items should be used.
I do know that they are strictly prohibited because of the consent degree.
What do you say to officers or counselors there,
whom a court ordered monitored this week reported expressed fear for their safety?
I understand their fear and they have every right to be fearful.
They lost a colleague. Their colleague died trying to do his job.
And that's exceptionally understandable.
But I think as the state legislature,
we have to take accountability for our part.
And that was the failure to get the department of, um,
corrections, the funds that were needed to have Lincoln Hills closed.
Lincoln Hills is mandated to close from a juvenile detention center.
And we know in order to do that,
we have to have other smaller facilities closer to home.
For example, Dane County needs the facility as well.
There was a request made of $83 million.
And that was in 2023.
So they could start the creation of their third type one facility.
That was denied.
And only about $12 million was approved.
No, $6 million was approved.
And that was for an exploratory event for them to find the land and,
and to start at the procedures.
So with that timeline, we know that Lincoln Hills won't be set to close at least until 2029.
So what do you say to families whose children are held there with that kind of timeline?
They deserve better Lincoln Hills should have been closed.
Their children should have been closer to home a long time ago and had those funds been approved.
Lincoln Hills would have been closed and their children would have been much closer to home.
Meanwhile, the youth charged in the beating death of the guard was supposed to be transferred.
I understand to the expanded secure mental health facility at Mandota, but there was no space.
So is this emblematic of the larger correctional system with staffing?
So as far as that's concerned, we want that wasn't confirmed or denied to us because of HIPAA laws.
But I do know that a request was made in January of this year.
And that was for additional dollars for the closure of Lincoln Hills and the expansion of Mandota.
So Lincoln Hills cannot close without, without Mandota's expansion going from, I believe, 29 beds to over 90.
That too was denied.
That funding wasn't given to the Department of Correction until later after Cory's death.
It was approved. And these are the type of things that we can't continue to see.
Because it just further postponed the closure of Lincoln Hills.
The Department of Correction, they know their jobs and they know what money is needed.
And the longer it takes for us to approve this, the more inflationary costs we get.
For example, the request that was originally made for the facility in Milwaukee was originally requested at $45 million.
And that was in 2020.
That cost is now costing us $76 million in 2024.
So not only is it costing us time, it's costing us money.
And I would, I think it's fair to say that it has now cost a life.
We need to leave it there. Senator LaTanya Johnson. Thanks very much.
Thank you.
You should talk to the family of the guard.
Yes, I don't know if well, I'm sure it's too late for this segment.
But as of the date of that hearing, August 6, he still wasn't buried.
Because of investigations.
Yes, because they were waiting for the swelling to go down in his brain so they could determine.
What blow actually killed him.
That was more than a bump head or.
It was a lot more than that.
Because didn't didn't he hit his head on the concrete.
He from my understanding from talking to the family, he did hit his head on the concrete, but he regained consciousness.
But he was still basically today.
Yes, horrifying. Yeah.
Yeah. And I mean, for his body to not be buried.
What 45 days after the event happened, I think that says a lot to hit a lot to his trauma.
On the in that hearing, they said he was admitted as a John Doe because they could recognize him.
And out and talking to the family, I think they said they had to identify him through a tattoo or something like that.
Yeah, that is just so scary speaking of despair and danger.
You know, yeah.
It is.
All right. Well, thank you. Obviously, we'll be following this. See how it develops.
All right. Yeah, it'll be interesting.
Yeah. Thank you.
Thank you.
Nice to see you.
Have a good day.
You too. Bye.
You