MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A new juvenile detention center in Dane County is one step closer to receiving full state approval after initial environmental assessment findings were presented at a public meeting Wednesday night.

If approved, the center would be on the border of Fitchburg and Oregon, near two existing correctional facilities.

The proposed type 1 juvenile corrections facility is part of Governor Evers’ goal of decreasing youth recidivism rates. To do this, he proposed replacing major detention centers with a series of smaller ones focusing more on restorative practices.

Facilities such as Lincoln Hill and Copper Lake, which have the capacity to hold 500 inmates, will be replaced by centers such as the Dane County Correctional Facility.

Although the center in Dane County will on

See Full Page