Thee is a lot of detail at the link, but the summary is below. Thank goodness for Matt Kittle and Empower Wisconsin for following up on this. We had a problem under Governor Walker and it has gotten substantially worse under Governor Evers. It has been two-and-a-half years since Evers took office promising to fix this.

Gov. Tony Evers campaigned on shutting down Lincoln Hills School for Boys, the state’s serious juvenile offender prison, The Democrat hammered his predecessor, insisting Republican Gov. Scott Walker had failed to take action. On the campaign trail Evers declared Wisconsin needed “responsible leaders who are more focused about solving problems and protecting lives than winning elections.”

 

Two and a half years after Evers took office, things have gotten a lot worse inside the walls of Lincoln Hills, according to documents obtained by Empower Wisconsin in an open records request, and the governor has repeatedly argued to delay the closing of the juvenile detention centers.

 

While Evers and Republicans have fought over funding to replace Lincoln Hills and the Copper Lake School for Girls with regional detention centers, the governor is ultimately responsible for the safety and security of the institutions. Lincoln Hills staffers say Evers’ Department of Corrections has swept worsening conditions under the rug.

 

Under Governor Evers:

 

* Sexual misconduct incidents soared 75 percent at Lincoln Hills.

 

* Youth-staff battery increased 177 percent.

 

* Group disturbances up 158 percent.

 

* Staff injuries up an astounding 4,700 percent.

 

* Staff vacancy rates are at 32 percent