MADISON — The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Senate's Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety has rejected a call for a hearing on allegations of inmate abuse at Wisconsin's youth prison.
The committee's two Democrats — Lena Taylor and Fred Risser — sent a letter to Chairman Van Wanggaard on Wednesday, December 16th requesting a hearing on allegations of abuse at the Copper Lake/Lincoln Hills School in Irma.
Word broke last week that the Wisconsin Department of Justice has been investigating allegations of sexual and physical assaults of youth and evidence tampering since January. The FBI has also joined the probe.
Wanggaard issued a statement saying he won't hold a hearing because it could jeopardize the investigation. He promised to continue watching the situation closely.
The complete statement from Wanggaard is as follows:
READ IT: Letter from Taylor and Risser to Wanggaard.