Judge: Lincoln Hills' problems too severe to let state 'take its time' to fix

“The state just seems to have been moving very, very slowly in the face of widespread criticism of Lincoln Hills,” Peterson said.

Nine current and former inmates, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the Juvenile Law Center, are suing the DOC for its use of solitary confinement, hand and leg cuffs and pepper spray at Lincoln Hills.

Peterson signaled he wants the facility’s practices — which he said may be unconstitutional and are excessive — to be overhauled immediately, but also said he doesn’t know if the lawsuit’s allegation that DOC staff were deliberately indifferent to the harm the practices have inflicted on inmates has been proven.