Legal woes at teen prison have cost Wisconsin $20.6 million and counting

MADISON - Lawsuits over the problems at Wisconsin’s juvenile prison complex have cost the state $20.6 million so far and those costs will continue to rise — possibly by large sums if some cases aren't resolved in the state's favor.

The facility for more than three years has been under criminal investigation for prisoner abuse and child neglect. If charges are issued, that could open the state to more legal exposure from lawsuits.

“It’s the cost of getting it wrong,” state Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) said of the state’s legal tab.

The legal fees and settlements come on top of an $80 million plan by Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers to close Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls by 2021 and replace them with regional facilities for teen inmates.

Read more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/09/07/legal-woes-teen-prison-have-cost-wisconsin-20-6-million-so-far/1161601002/