>> THE HISTORICALLY VERY
TROUBLED LINCOLN HILLS JOVE NILE
CORRECTIONAL FACILITY IN
NORTHERN WISCONSIN COMES INTO
ANOTHER CALENDAR YEAR FACING
UNDERSTAFFING, EVEN AS MILWAUKEE
MOVES ALONG WITH TRYING TO
LOCATE A NEW FACILITY ON THE
CITY'S NORTHWEST SIDE.
IT HAS BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE
STATE LAWMAKERS PROMISED TO
CLOSE THE LINCOLN HILLS SCHOOL
FOR BOYS AND COPPER LAKE SCHOOL
FOR GIRLS BECAUSE OF DANGEROUS
CONDITIONS THERE FOR INMATES AND
STAFF.
FOR DEVELOPMENTS ON THIS WE TURN
TO THE WISCONSIN SECRETARY OF
CORRECTIONS, KEVIN CARR.
SECRETARY, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
>> THIS WEEK THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE PLAN COMMISSION
OKAYED.
WHY HAS THE CLOSURE AND
RELOCATION OF LINCOLN HILLS
TAKEN SO LONG?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS
PAST SPRING ACT 252 WAS PASSED
WHICH PROVIDED THE NEEDED
FUNDING IN ORDER FOR US TO
ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THE
PLANS IN A VERY DELIBERATE WAY.
PRIOR TO THAT, THE FUNDING WAS
NOT AVAILABLE AND OUR
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN TRYING
TO GET THE FUNDING AND BUILD
THIS NEW FACILITY SINCE WE CAME
INTO OFFICE IN 2019.
>> HOW WILL MOVING IT TO
MILWAUKEE IN YOUR MIND HELP THE
JUVENILES INCARCERATED THERE AND
THEIR FAMILIES?
>> WELL, THE BEST SCIENCE
SURROUNDING JUVENILE CORRECTIONS
SUGGESTS THAT THE CONCEPT OF
MOVING OUR KIDS CLOSER TO HOME,
CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITIES WHERE
THEY COME FROM, WHERE THEIR
FAMILIES ARE, WHERE THERE ARE
SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES AND
PROGRAMS AND CULTURALLY
APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH
IS A POSITIVE REASON THAT
PROMOTES THE REINTEGRATION OF
YOUTH BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITIES
AND LOWERS REPEATING AND KEEPS
KIDS FROM ENTERING THE ADULT
CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM.
>> VERY KEY.
MEANWHILE THE COURT-ORDERED
MONITOR OF THE CONDITIONS AT THE
FACILITY IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN
REPORTS IT REMAINS UNDERSTAFFED.
HOW MANY TEACHER AND SOCIAL
WORKER VACANCIES ARE THERE RIGHT
NOW?
>> I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE EXACT
NUMBER OF VACANCIES BUT WE DO
HAVE VACANCIES IN OUR TEACHING
AND SOCIAL WORKER POSITIONS.
NOT ONLY AT LINCOLN HILLS BUT
THROUGHOUT THE CORRECTIONAL
SYSTEM, WHETHER IT'S THE ADULT
OR JUVENILE SYSTEM.
WE'RE EXPERIENCING THE EX ACTS
SAME TYPE OF VACANCY ISSUES THAT
THE PUBLIC SECTOR OR PRIVATE
SECTOR IS EXPERIENCING IN THESE
AREAS.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE EXPERIENCING
A TEACHER SHORTAGE.
MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE
EXPERIENCING MEDICAL STAFF
SHORTAGES AND SOCIAL WORK AND
CLINICIAN SHORTAGES.
THIS IS JUST NOT UNIQUE TO
LINCOLN HILLS AND THE WISCONSIN
CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM.
>> WHAT EFFECT DOES THAT
STAFFING SHORTAGE HAVE ON THE
JUVENILES THERE IN TERMS OF
THEIR PROGRAMMING?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY
THIS ABOUT OUR STAFFING PROBLEM
IS THAT RECENTLY WE HAVE SEEN A
TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN THE
NUMBER OF STAFFING VACANCIES
BEING REDUCED.
SO RECENTLY WE HAVE HIRED MORE
STAFF NOT ONLY IN JUVENILE
CORRECTIONS BUT IN OUR ADULT
INSTITUTIONS THAN WE HAVE IN ALL
OF THE PREVIOUS FEW MONTHS.
OUR BIGGEST CLASSES HAVE BEEN
THIS PAST FALL.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, A LACK OF
STAFFING IN ANY FACILITY IMPACTS
THE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITIES THAT
THOSE WHO RESIDE THERE CAN
ENGAGE IN.
SO WHETHER THAT'S EDUCATION OR
RECREATION, SOME OF THOSE
ACTIVITIES ARE CURTAILED BECAUSE
OF A LACK OF STAFFING.
BUT WE HAVE GOTTEN TO THE POINT
WITH OUR STAFFING AT LINCOLN
HILLS AND COPPER LAKE WHERE WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THE
AMOUNT OF TIME THAT OUR YOUTH
ARE SPENDING OUT OF THEIR ROOMS.
SOME UP TO 90% OF THE TIME OF
THEIR AVAILABLE TIME DURING THE
DAY THEY ARE SPENDING OUT OF
THEIR ROOM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE
LATEST HIRES THAT WE'VE BEEN
ABLE TO MAKE.
>> IN A PERFECT WORLD GOING
FORWARD, WHAT SHOULD A BOY OR
GIRL SENTENCED TO LINCOLN HILLS
OR COPPER LAKE, THEIR FAMILIES
OR EVEN CITIZENS AT LARGE BE
ABLE TO EXPECT OF INCARCERATION
IN STATE DETENTION?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A
GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE WHEN OUR
ADMINISTRATION TOOK OVER IN
2019, LINCOLN HILLS AND COPPER
LAKE OPERATED WITH A MORE
PUNITIVE MODEL OF CORRECTION.
WE HAVE TRANSFORMED LINCOLN
HILLS AND COPPER LAKE INTO A
MORE TREATMENT-ORIENTED FACILITY
BASED ON BEHAVIORAL THERAPY AND
A NEW BEHAVIORAL MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM THAT PROMOTES
RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND
REWARDS SOCIAL BEHAVIOR.
SO WE'RE MORE FOCUSED ON
PROVIDING TREATMENT THAT'S BASED
ON BEST PRACTICES IN THIS
INDUSTRY AND TRAUMA-INFORMED
CARE PRINCIPLES.
>> SECRETARY KEVIN CARR, THANK