GLENDALE -- The location of our new youth prison could soon be in Milwaukee, and right Glendale's backyard.
That's not sitting well with Glendale's mayor.
The site proposed by the governor would be behind the police and fire academy near Mill Road and Teutonia, right at the border with Glendale. Their mayor was not happy when he first learned of this while watching the news.
Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy supports closing two troubled juvenile detention facilities in the state, "We strongly support closing Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake and moving those kids closer to their families."
He claims he was left in the dark about why Evers wants to keep Lincoln Hills open an extra six months, to build the new facility.
The development would house roughly 30 boys and girls.
"To pick a site that was never in consideration, not talk to Glendale about the fact that they are choosing something right by our city 1,000 feet from our middle school really is shocking to us," said Kennedy.
Governor Tony Evers' spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff responded with this statement:
“Keeping kids and communities safe remains the governor’s top priority. Under the governor's leadership, staff from multiple state agencies are working together with legislators and stakeholders to move forward on bringing kids home from Lincoln Hills as soon as we safely and responsibly can. We can’t continue to send vulnerable kids hundreds of miles away from their homes and families. Research indicates that we’ll see better outcomes when kids can get the services and support they need in settings closer to home. We welcome additional input and conversation from community members and hope that local leaders will join us in supporting youth justice reform.”
Kennedy believes the governor should instead choose a forested area right behind the Mill Road DMV, suggested by a juvenile corrections study committee.
"They reviewed over 70 parcels of land in southern Wisconsin and they 25 to 0, unanimously selected 73rd and Mill Road as their selection."
Kennedy plans to lobby the governor and Milwaukee leaders to not approve the land sale.
