2nd teen charged in connection to attack at Lincoln Hills
UPDATED on June 27, 2024
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A second teen has been charged in connection with an attack on a youth counselor at Lincoln Hills.
Corey Proulx was pronounced brain dead following the assault that happened Monday, June 24.
A 16-year-old boy was charged as an adult with second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder, and two felony counts of battery by a prisoner.
A 17-year-old boy is now also facing charges of felony murder and battery by prisoners. He was identified by authorities as Rion Nyblom.
According to a criminal complaint, Nyblom allegedly obtained a cup of soap that the 16-year-old used to splash in one of the victim's faces. The 16-year-old then reportedly started swinging at the victim.
The complaint says Proulx attempted to intervene when the 16-year-old "slammed his [Proulx] head on the concrete."
UPDATED on June 26, 2024
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Department of Corrections has confirmed that a youth counselor at Lincoln Hills School is brain dead following a reported assault.
The victim is 49-year-old Corey Proulx, with the attack taking place on Monday, June 24.
The 16-year-old boy accused of attacking two Lincoln Hills workers made his first court appearance on Wednesday, June 26.
He was charged as an adult with second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder, and two felony counts of battery by a prisoner.
According to the Department of Corrections, the teen assaulted two staff members on Monday.
A 25-year-old woman was taken to the hospital, treated, and later released. According to the court complaint, the teen said he planned the attack because he believed she was abusing her power and treating him unfairly.
The teen then assaulted Corey Proulx, who had returned to serve as a youth counselor at Lincoln Hills School last spring after briefly leaving the school two years prior. During the attack, Proulx was knocked unconscious and hit his head on concrete.
Proulx was taken to the hospital to receive treatment, but on Wednesday morning, the Lincoln County coroner confirmed that he was declared brain dead.
The family is now going through the organ donation process as he was an organ donor.
Jared Hoy, Wisconsin's Department of Corrections secretary expressed his sadness in a Wednesday, June 26 press release.
"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. Our DOC family is mourning Corey’s loss, and we are keeping all of his family members and friends in our thoughts."
Hoy also noted that Proulx's fiancée and daughter want the public to know that Corey "... was an amazing partner, father, son and human being."
Peer supporters from across the state DOC are present at Lincoln Hill School on Wednesday to support staff as they process the event.
State Representative Michael Schraa is the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Corrections.
In a statement, Wednesday Schraa said -- in part -- "this death could have [been] prevented by the department. DOC has been working on changing one of their administrative rules to make it harder for staff at Lincoln Hills to do their job. This is a prime example of why staff need the appropriate tools to keep themselves and other incarcerated individuals safe."
Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #231 on Wednesday, June 26 to order U.S. and Wisconsin state flags to half-staff through Thursday, June 27 in honor of Proulx.
Evers said in a press release, "Wisconsinites today are honoring Corey and his service as we mourn his tragic passing and keep Corey’s family and loved ones, colleagues, and all those who knew and served alongside him in our hearts and our prayers.
There are plans to replace the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls and build replacement facilities. One is expected to open in Milwaukee in 2026.
In 2018, the state did agree to pay more than $25 million in settlements after many juveniles were left in solitary confinement for weeks, pepper sprayed, and in some cases, seriously injured.
The criminal investigation at the detention centers ended in 2019 without any charges. It did result with a court-appointed monitor to make frequent visits to Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake to review the conditions.
The teen did not have any injuries during the altercation.
The department is working to move him to another facility, but it's not clear where.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A staff member at Wisconsin's youth prison has been declared brain-dead following a fight with an inmate, the county coroner said Wednesday.
The man was declared brain-dead Tuesday so the family can proceed with organ donation, Lincoln County Coroner Valerie Caylor said.
The man was injured during a fight Monday night at Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake Schools, the state's youth prison in Irma in northern Wisconsin. Department of Corrections spokesperson Beth Hardtke said a 16-year-old inmate assaulted a staff member in a residence hall and then attacked a second staff member.
The first staff member was taken to a hospital, treated and released. The second staff member's head struck concrete.
The inmate did not suffer any injuries that required medical treatment, Hardtke said.
The assault was under investigation 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 was to be released later Wednesday by the sheriff's department, Caylor said.
Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake is Wisconsin's only youth prison.
The facility has 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.