MADISON, WI (WSAU) – Over the objections of speaker Robin Vos, the state assembly approved funding for a new youth prison.
Vos expressed opposition to state borrowing for the jail, noting that a site in southeastern Wisconsin hasn’t been identified and that many counties are building their own, smaller, youth facilities.
The bill calls for $42-million in funding.
The state’s only youth prison right now is in Irma in Lincoln County. The state had discussed closing it since 2018 after a series of abuse cases involving guards, the inappropriate use of pepper spray, and keeping some teenagers in solitary confinement. The Lincoln Hills facility is currently operating under a court-ordered settlement after a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union.
The state may convert the existing facility into an adult prison.
The assembly passed the funding bill on Thursday night.
The measure does not match an earlier bill from the state senate. The assembly version requires local approval before construction can begin. Both chambers will need to agree on the final language before the measure goes to the Governor.
