Wisconsin Legislature Sets Three-Year Clock on Juvenile Prison Shutdown

John Kelly, The Chronicle of Social Change •

Advocates and attorneys pushing for closure of the facilities hailed the bill as an important step, but were critical of the plan to route a lot of new money into other incarceration options.

“Closing Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake is the right move,” said Jessica Feierman, associate director of Juvenile Law Center, in a statement issued after the bill’s passage. The center has helped lead a campaign against the facilities with the local chapter of the ACLU.

About the Expert

Jessica Feierman is the Chief Legal Officer of Juvenile Law Center, where she leads programmatic work and engages in impact litigation, amicus efforts, and policy reform to fight the harmful and discriminatory impact of the juvenile and criminal legal and family regulation systems. Jessica is a nationally recognized expert on the rights of young people, and has published and presented widely on economic justice, racial justice, adolescent development, conditions of confinement, and the youth legal system.