Youth Justice Milwaukee Statement on Lincoln Hills Incident with Young Person with Appendicitis

Lincoln Hills School and Copper Lake School. Photo from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

In response to the news that nurses at the Lincoln Hills youth prison failed to take a young man to the hospital in 2016 when he was at risk of dying from a burst appendix, Youth Justice Milwaukee co-founders, Jeff Roman and Sharlen Moore released the following statement:

“Again and again, we hear stories that prove that for young people, simply being at Lincoln Hills is a risk to their lives. This latest horror story demonstrates how youth prisons fail young people– failing even the bare minimum standards — and why their families and communities are better equipped to take care of them. This case proves that any institutional setting simply cannot adequately keep young people safe – and in this case, it almost couldn’t keep one young man alive. Wisconsin must listen to impacted communities and families of incarcerated young people on how to build a truly just system. The final closure of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake must proceed without delay as we look toward funding alternatives that will keep youth and the community much safer.”

Youth Justice Milwaukee is a broad-based campaign advocating for community-based, family-centered, restorative programs as an alternative to locking up children in Wisconsin’s youth prisons. Youth Justice Milwaukee represents a coalition of persons who were incarcerated as youth, families of youth who are or were incarcerated, service providers, and local and national youth justice advocates.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Recent Press Releases by Youth Justice Milwaukee

Youth Justice Milwaukee Calls for Transformation of the Wisconsin Youth Justice System as the State Acknowledges it Will Not Meet the July 2021 Deadline to Close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Prisons

Feb 8th, 2021 by Youth Justice Milwaukee

 

Youth Justice Milwaukee: Wisconsin is at a Turning Point in Youth Justice

Feb 13th, 2020 by Youth Justice Milwaukee

 

Polling Shows: Majority of Wisconsinites Support Youth Justice Reform

Jun 3rd, 2019 by Youth Justice Milwaukee

Signals Strong Bipartisan Support for Community-Based Alternatives to Incarceration to Rehabilitate Youth