A report from the Lincoln Hills School for Boys detailed the events of five altercations involving 26 inmates which occurred over a two-day period at the end of September.
The report shows evidence that a guard was choked by one of the inmates, who is now facing charges for the incident, and other guards sustained knee, shoulder and nose injuries. At one point, five inmates climbed into the ceiling area and broke lights.
Lincoln Hills has experienced continued controversy over multiple allegations of physical and sexual abuse, resulting in lawsuits from inmates to the facility’s officers and administration. Gov. Tony Evers’ administration passed a law requiring the closure of Lincoln Hills by 2021.
Teresa Abreu, a court-ordered monitor who regularly visits Lincoln Hills, went to the facility about a week before the incident unfolded, noting the conditions were improving.
"Youth attitudes overall were very good during this site visit. As a result of the progress made, it is clearly evident that these changes are having a positive impact on the overall atmosphere and culture of the facility," Abreu claimed.
In the past month, due to court mandated changes, Lincoln Hills has seen increased staff from adult prisons all over the state to support the facilities’ needs.
Additional changes include the punishment procedures, which no longer allow inmates to be placed into solitary confinement for extended periods of time. Plans also ensure officers will receive additional training, and inmates will receive more programming.
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