MILWAUKEE— Wisconsin is preparing to open a new youth correctional center in Milwaukee next month as the state works to replace its troubled facilities in northern Wisconsin.
The $65.6 million Southeast Regional Care Center for Youth, located in an industrial area on Milwaukee’s northwest side, will eventually house up to 32 boys from southeastern Wisconsin. The first group is expected to arrive in early November.
The facility is part of the state’s effort to move away from the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth correctional facilities in northern Wisconsin and toward smaller centers closer to young people’s families and communities.
State officials say the new approach will emphasize education, therapy, vocational training and rehabilitation to help young people prepare for life after leaving the facility.
A focus on rehabilitation
The new center includes classrooms, a gymnasium, woodworking and welding areas, a recording studio and spaces for counseling and recreation. Young people will also have access to medical services and opportunities to develop practical skills.
Lance Horozewski, administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ Division of Juvenile Corrections, says treatment and respect are central to helping young people avoid returning to the justice system.
“We know what works in reducing recidivism: treatment, treating people with dignity and respect, and having environments that aren’t further traumatizing kids,” Horozewski said.
The goal is to help residents develop skills they can continue using when they return to their communities.
“Our goal is to build youth skills, while they’re here,” Horozewski said. “Build that capacity, connect them with community resources, that they can continue with in the community.”
A counselor with a personal connection
For Maurice Newton Jr., one of the facility’s youth counselors, the work is personal.
Newton grew up on Milwaukee’s north side and experienced the effects of having a father who is incarcerated. He says he wants to use his own experiences to connect with young people who may be dealing with similar challenges.
Newton hopes to become a positive role model for the boys and help them understand that their circumstances do not have to determine their futures.
“They don’t have these father figures. They don’t have these positive role models, and I wanna be that person for them,” Newton said.
He also wants the young people to recognize that they still have opportunities ahead of them.
“I want to tell them there is still hope,” Newton said. “People probably have not told them that there is something they can still do.”
The facility will rely on counselors and other staff to help residents build trust, learn new skills and prepare to return to their families and communities.
Moving youth closer to home
For years, Wisconsin’s primary secure juvenile correctional facilities have been Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, located in northern Wisconsin. Their distance from southeastern Wisconsin can make it difficult for families to visit regularly.
The new Milwaukee center is intended to make those connections easier to maintain while young people receive treatment.
The state is also developing another youth correctional facility in Dane County, designed to house up to 40 young people — 32 boys and eight girls. Officials have also discussed the need for a third facility in northern Wisconsin.
Wisconsin’s Act 185, enacted in 2018, established a plan to replace the existing youth facilities with smaller institutions. The state has not announced a firm date for completing the transition away from Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake.
The Milwaukee center’s opening marks a step in that effort, with state officials saying their goal is to help young people build the skills and support systems they need to thrive after returning home.
