Dear Mr. Kaul,
Congratulations on your election. The Wisconsin Justice Initiative looks forward to a more progressive, transparent Department of Justice under your leadership.
Gov. Tony Evers is touring the Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake juvenile prisons today. While that is admirable and a gubernatorial visit is long overdue, it is not enough.
WJI urges you to review and publicly report on DOJ‘s previous investigation into the abuses that occurred at Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake. There are serious questions about the thoroughness of that investigation and whether DOJ ever intended to identify and prosecute abusers and those who authorized the excesses that occurred at the facilities. Will the state allow those people to continue in their careers as if nothing happened? The Federal Bureau of Investigation also allegedly investigated, but nothing ever came of that. Is that investigation continuing? Or was it simply another whitewash?
Unfortunately, through no fault of your own, DOJ‘s credibility is totally compromised when it comes to Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake. We recommend you seek outside assistance to conduct the review of past investigations and to launch a new investigation, if needed, to ensure that those responsible for any crimes committed against the youth at Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake are held to account.
The public should know whether the Wisconsin Department of Justice and FBI fulfilled their investigative duties or whether they instead enabled those responsible for the abuses.
A thorough and honest review of what happened will serve to assure the public that the installation of a new attorney general means the return of integrity and responsibility to the Department of Justice.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Schuldt, Executive Director Wisconsin Justice Initiative
