Here & Now

Wisconsin Look: Walker Suggests New Staff For Youth Prison

Zac Schultz:

Now we have a quick update to the ongoing problems at Lincoln Hills. That’s the youth prison in northern Wisconsin that’s under investigation by the FBI. Governor Walker wants to add more staff to comply with federal standards instead of shutting it down as many critics have suggested. Walker has proposed adding eight new counselors. Lincoln Hills is currently the subject of two federal lawsuits, one of which alleges extensive use of solitary confinement as punishment for misbehavior. Former and current inmates claim as much as 20% of the juvenile prisoners are in solitary confinement at any given time.