MILWAUKEE — After working to replace the troubled Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake juvenile prisons, the city is in agreement to create a new facility near 76th and Calumet.
The new juvenile prison would be built upon an old emissions testing center located at 7930 W. Clinton Ave.
Gov. Tony Evers announced his plan to move forward on the state's plan, which approved the new $42 million facility.
"Most of the individuals in Lincoln Hills come from this community and for people to have to ride three (to) four hours away just to see their loved ones, their children. It not only affects their families, it impacts the young people because when you separate anyone from their surroundings and their loved ones, they're going to act out," said Sylvester Jackson, a local leader with EX-incarcerated People Organizing.
Jackson served time in prison several hours away from Milwaukee. He says the distance away from family affected his mental health.
"After 10 years of being incarcerated, I was released back into the community with no resources with no money, no housing, no family no friends, which is a recipe for disaster."
Jackson eventually found his purpose by leading the Milwaukee chapter of EXPO (EX-incarcerated People Organizing), a group working to end mass incarceration throughout the state.
"We forget about the humanity part of this system. But if we are not focusing on the restoration when they come back to the community so that we can restore the family as a whole then we're dropping the ball."
However, not everyone is on board with the new youth prison plan. Officials with the Milwaukee Freedom Fund shared in a statement:
"We believe the construction of any prison is harmful and a waste of resources that could be used on empowering marginalized youth in our communities. We know that prisons are sites of violence and harm, that is literally why we are in this situation now. We also know this will lead to expanding the criminalization of marginalized Milwaukee youth, primarily Black youth in the metro area. Which exacerbates the fact that Wisconsin incarcerates the most Black people in the US.
This is an incredibly disappointing vote and special session by the common council. The district is not represented at the moment and this whole process today trends towards undemocratic without allowing for public comment and consideration. Milwaukee Freedom Fund believes our common council, state legislators and advocates can be more creative with using $42 million dollars to address social issues with our youth, creating more prisons is not a solution that helps our youth or communities."
