A staff member at Wisconsin’s troubled youth prison, Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake Schools, has been declared brain-dead following a violent altercation with a 16-year-old inmate. The incident, which occurred on Monday night, has further spotlighted the ongoing issues within the state’s only youth prison facility.
Corey Proulx, 49, was declared brain-dead on Tuesday, allowing his family to proceed with organ donation, according to Lincoln County Coroner Valerie Caylor. Proulx’s tragic death comes less than three weeks after prosecutors filed criminal charges against a warden and multiple staffers in connection with the deaths of two maximum-security inmates.
The 16-year-old inmate involved in the altercation has been charged in adult court with second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder-battery, and two counts of battery by a prisoner. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 58 years in prison. Lincoln County Circuit Judge Galen Bayne-Allison set a $100,000 cash bond for the teenager. The Associated Press has chosen not to name the inmate, as his attorneys may attempt to move the case to juvenile court, where proceedings are confidential.
State Rep. Michael Schraa, chair of the Assembly’s corrections committee, expressed grave concerns about the Department of Corrections’ operations, suggesting the agency might be in “crisis mode.” Schraa pledged to hold a hearing on the department’s overall operations “as quickly as possible,” emphasizing the need to protect lives within the system.
Schraa, along with Sen. Van Wanggaard, who chairs the Senate judiciary committee, filed an open records request with the Department of Corrections for all documents related to the fight, including audio and video recordings. Sen. Mary Felzkowski and Rep. Calvin Callahan, whose districts include the youth prison, joined the request, citing the paramount interest of the communities around the prison and the oversight committees.
The altercation began when the 16-year-old inmate, believing a staff member was abusing her power and treating him unfairly, planned an attack. He had another inmate obtain a cup of soap, which he threw at the staff member’s face before repeatedly punching her. The inmate then fled into an outdoor courtyard, where Proulx approached him. According to a criminal complaint, the inmate began punching Proulx without provocation. Surveillance footage shows the inmate punching Proulx twice in the face with “full force,” causing Proulx to go limp, fall, and hit his head on the pavement. The inmate then climbed up a basketball hoop and sat on it, overseeing the courtyard.
The first staff member was taken to a hospital, treated, and released. Proulx was airlifted to another hospital, where he was later declared brain-dead. The inmate did not suffer any injuries requiring medical treatment, according to Department of Corrections officials.
In response to Proulx’s death, Gov. Tony Evers ordered U.S. and Wisconsin flags to fly at half-staff through sunset Thursday. “By all accounts, Corey was a dedicated public servant who led with kindness and compassion in his commitment toward helping and supporting the youth he worked with,” the governor said in a statement.
Corrections officials noted that Proulx had returned to his job as a counselor at Lincoln Hills last spring after a brief hiatus two years prior. “A career in corrections, with its dual mission to protect the public and guide individuals toward rehabilitation, can be demanding and requires so many sacrifices for our staff and our families, and Corey made the ultimate sacrifice,” DOC Secretary Jared Hoy said in a statement. “Our DOC family is mourning Corey’s loss, and we are keeping all of his family members and friends in our thoughts.”
Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake has long been plagued by allegations of staff-on-inmate abuse, including excessive use of pepper spray, restraints, and strip searches. A court-appointed monitor is currently overseeing the facility. Sen. Mary Felzkowski, whose district includes the prison, expressed her frustration and anger over the incident. “For far too long, I have been sounding the alarm that it was always a matter of when, and not if, a tragedy of this magnitude would occur at Lincoln Hills,” she said in a statement.
Proulx’s death follows recent charges against Waupun Correctional Institution Warden Randall Hepp and eight staff members for various felonies, including misconduct and inmate abuse, in connection with the deaths of two inmates at the maximum-security facility. One inmate died of a stroke, and the other died of dehydration. Prosecutors allege that Hepp and the workers failed to provide necessary care. Additionally, two other inmates have died at Waupun over the past year, one by suicide and the other from a drug overdose. Federal investigators are currently probing a suspected smuggling ring at the prison.
The state prison system has also been grappling with a chronic shortage of guards. The vacancy rate at Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake stood around 12% during the first two weeks of June, according to the most recent data on the DOC’s website.
The investigation into the assault on Proulx is being conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office. More information is expected to be released as the investigation progresses.
Source: Associated Press, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
