State Sen. LaTonya Johnson on Conditions at Lincoln Hills

Frederica Freyberg:
In the wake of the death of a guard at the Lincoln Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility 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 facilities supposed to close and new ones be built? We turn to Democratic State Senator LaTonya 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.

LaTonya Johnson:
Thank you for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:
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?

LaTonya Johnson:
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.

Frederica Freyberg:
We should mention that we did invite a Republican member of Joint Finance, Senator Mary Felzkowski, to join this discussion, but we did not hear back. But to you, what do you say to officers or counselors there whom a court-ordered monitor this week reported expressed fear for their safety?

LaTonya Johnson:
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 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 a 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 to start the procedures. So with that timeline, we know that Lincoln Hills won’t be set to close at least until 2029.

Frederica Freyberg:
So what do you say to families whose children are held there with that kind of timeline?

LaTonya Johnson:
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.

Frederica Freyberg:
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 Mendota, but there was no space. So is this emblematic of the larger correctional system with staffing?

LaTonya Johnson:
So as far as that’s concerned, we weren’t — 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 Mendota. So Lincoln Hills cannot close without Mendota’s expansion going from, I believe, 29 beds to over 90. That too was denied. That funding wasn’t given to the Department of Corrections until later after Corey’s death, it was approved. And these are the type of things that we can’t continue to see, because it just further postpones the closement — the closure of Lincoln Hills. The Department of Corrections, 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.

Frederica Freyberg:
We need to leave it there. Senator LaTonya Johnson, thanks very much.

LaTonya Johnson:
Thank you.