More Trouble at Wisconsin's Youth Prisons

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021 -- 10:00 AM

(AP) Children held at Wisconsin’s troubled youth prison are growing more frustrated with their treatment and staff seem defeated, according to a court-appointed monitor’s latest appraisal of conditions at the facility.

The state Department of Corrections released Teresa Abreau’s latest report Monday. Abreau was assigned to visit the prison outside Irma periodically as part of a 2017 settlement resolving a federal lawsuit from civil rights and youth advocates demanding improvements at the prison.

The agreement called for guards to stop using pepper spray and prohibited the use of solitary confinement for children who don’t pose an imminent threat to others.

According to her report, Abreau visited the prison on June 24, the 10th time she’s traveled to the facility since the settlement was reached. She said the atmosphere at the prison has deteriorated since her last report in April.

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