MADISON, Wis. – The 20th report from the federal court-appointed monitor for Lincoln Hills School/Copper Lake School (LHS/CLS) was filed Tuesday. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) is now in substantial compliance with 44 (or 88%) of the 50 provisions identified in the consent decree, one more than the previous reporting period. The reporting period covered March through June 2024.
“Staff at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools remain dedicated to serving youth and our communities while at the same time mourning the loss of their colleague,” said Jared Hoy, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC). “DOC is committed to continuing to support staff as they work to improve Wisconsin’s juvenile corrections system and keep youth safe.”
The court-ordered consent decree was issued and agreed upon in response to a 2017 lawsuit over conditions at the facility under the previous administration.
The court-appointed monitor visited LHS/CLS on July 11 and conducted 44 interviews with staff and youth. The monitor visit was less than two weeks after Youth Counselor Corey Proulx died from injuries sustained in an assault at Lincoln Hills School on June 24. A youth who was residing at the school at the time has been charged in Proulx’s death.
“The loss of Mr. Proulx has had a profound impact on staff and youth, which was evident during the July site visit,” the monitor wrote in the report. “The general feel of the facility, staff, and youth was appropriately somber but still generally positive, particularly given the situation.”
The monitor noted that while staff did express fear for their safety and anger over Proulx’s death, LHS/CLS staff were still trying to create a positive environment for the youth there.
“It was also notable that while most staff were more cautious toward youth and seemed to maintain more distance, they were also trying to ensure for a safe and engaging atmosphere, attempting to keep youth meaningfully engaged in various activities,” the monitor wrote. “As previously mentioned, the staff and youth were still reeling from the critical incident, and therefore the Monitoring team could feel the increased tension and fear for safety. With that said, it remains humbling to have seen most staff continue to focus on the safety of youth and continue to pursue positive youth development and activities.”
A listing of all monitor reports can be found here on the department’s website.
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