Committee Begins Exploration of Male Juvenile Correctional Programs

On April 8, Wisconsin Governor Doyle appointed a citizen committee to review the status of the boy's Juvenile Correctional Institutions: Ethan Allen School (EAS) and Lincoln Hills School (LHS). Over the past years the population at the boy's institutions has continued to decline. Since 2001, the average daily population for boys has declined more than 35% and arrests for boys have decreased by 22%.

The Juvenile Correctional Institutions are funded largely through daily rates charged to counties for placements. The Division of Juvenile Corrections is projecting a deficit of nearly $25 million over the next two years. The committee is charged by the Governor with exploring how best to serve juvenile offenders in the future while reducing costs -- which could include consolidating the populations of EAS and LHS or other options. The committee, co-chaired by Greg Lewis, St. Gabriel's Church (Milwaukee), and Jim Moeser, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families toured both facilities, gathered input from key stakeholders, and analyzed data to come up with recommendations for the Governor.