The state of Wisconsin's youth prison project in Milwaukee is moving forward with the purchase of site this week on the city's northwest side.
For $1.1 million, the state Department of Corrections acquired the 6.7-acre property at 7930 W. Clinton Ave., according to state real estate records. The site used to be a state Department of Motor Vehicles vehicle emissions testing center.
Last fall,
the site was selected for the 32-bed facility and the Milwaukee Common Council approved the change in land use in January.
The facility will replace two youth correctional facilities in northern Wisconsin.
In 2017, the state Legislature agreed to close Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls, both in Irma, after an investigation validated reports of abuse and unsafe working conditions at the facilities.
While improvements have been made at both facilities, Gov. Tony Evers said creating a new facility in southeast Wisconsin has been a long-term goal of his administration.
“There’s no doubt we’ve made tremendous improvements at our state’s current facilities, but the goal for me and my administration since day one has been to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, and to get our kids closer to home as soon as we safely and responsibly could,” said Evers in a 2022 statement.
Speaking at a city meeting in January, DOC Secretary Kevin Carr said construction for the Milwaukee facility, which will be for boys only, will be completed by early 2026. There will be a transition period where the youth will be moved to Milwaukee following construction.
Locating the prison in Milwaukee will bring a majority of the residents closer to their families in southeast Wisconsin for visitation and support, Carr said.
The Clinton Avenue property was purchased from an affiliate of Poblocki Paving.
