Lincoln Hills staffer dies after assault by 16-year-old boy at youth prison

MADISON - A staff member at a youth prison in northern Wisconsin has died from his injuries after he was assaulted by a teen incarcerated there.

Corey Proulx, 49, died from injuries sustained during an assault by a 16-year-old boy housed at Lincoln Hills School for Boys, according to a news release Wednesday from the Department of Corrections.

The teen, Javarius M. Hurd, was charged as an adult Wednesday with second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder and two felony counts of battery by a prisoner. He made his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.

Gov. Tony Evers has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor Proulx.

“Our hearts break for Corey, his family and loved ones, his colleagues at the department, and all those who knew and loved him," Evers said in a release. "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."

DOC Secretary-Designee Jared Hoy called Proulx a "dedicated professional, colleague, and friend in the line of duty."

“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," he said. "Our DOC family is mourning Corey’s loss, and we are keeping all of his family members and friends in our thoughts.”

Proulx had left a position as a youth counselor at Lincoln Hills two years ago but returned this spring, according to the department.

Family members including his fiancee and daughter told Hoy he was "an amazing partner, father, son and human being," the press release said.

Earlier Wednesday, Lincoln County Coroner Valerie Caylor said Proulx was confirmed to be brain dead.

He was signed up to be an organ donor, and his family pursued that option, she said.

Corey Proulx remembered as dedicated and compassionate

Lincoln Hills Superintendent Klint Trevino recalled Proulx as a "dedicated and compassionate member of our team, always striving to make a positive impact on the lives of the young individuals we serve."

"His commitment to our mission was unwavering, and he will be deeply missed by all of us," Trevino said.

The Department of Corrections and Evers' office have not responded to interview requests about the assault.

The teen, a 16-year-old boy, first assaulted a 25-year-old female staff member in a residence hall after returning from outdoor recreation about 8 p.m. Monday, according to initial information from the Department of Corrections.

She was taken to a hospital, treated and released.

The teen then assaulted Proulx who hit his head on concrete. Proulx was taken by helicopter to a hospital for treatment.

A criminal complaint released Wednesday quoted the teen telling investigators that he had "built up aggression" toward the female staff member, believing she had been treating him unfairly. The teen had thrown a cup of soapy water into the woman's face before he began repeatedly punching her, the complaint says.

He ran into an outdoor courtyard where Proulx tried to detain the teen, who then began punching Proulx, according to the complaint.

The case remains under investigation by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Lincoln County District Attorney's Office.

Report earlier this year found 35% staff vacancy rate at Lincoln Hills

Lincoln Hills School for Boys, and its counterpart the Copper Lake School for Girls, have been under heavy scrutiny for nearly a decade and have faced staffing challenges like the rest of the prison system.

As of March, the staff vacancy rate was about 35% at the youth prison because of unanticipated staff leave, according to an outside monitor's report. But without vacations considered, the vacancy rates were nearly 0%.

However, vacancy rates throughout DOC have greatly improved in recent months after a raise for correctional officers was enacted, said Rep. Michael Schraa, R-Oshkosh, and chairman of the Assembly Committee on Corrections.

Schraa told the Journal Sentinel in a Tuesday interview that he doesn't believe that understaffing is to blame for the attack. He said he even heard reports that the 16-year-old had been seen in the days leading up to the attack playing cards with a counselor, which is what guards at the facility are called.

"There are good counselors that work up at that facility that love their job," Schraa said. "We are dealing with individuals that are significantly mentally challenged, and they are both physically and verbally aggressive."

In a Wednesday morning press release, he said this staff member's death and the deaths at Waupun Correctional Institution show the state of distress within the DOC.

"Numerous times, I told (former) Secretary Carr and my legislative colleagues that something needed to change," he said in the release. "Due to our pleas being unanswered, we have a deceased staff member, nine DOC employees facing criminal charges, and four deceased inmates."

Schraa said the Assembly Committee on Corrections will hold an informational hearing as quickly as possible to allow individuals to share their stories.

Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake have been the subject of years of lawsuits and abuse allegations claiming excessive use of pepper spray, strip searches and restraints against detainees. One teen had his toes amputated after a guard crushed his foot in the door, while another suffered severe brain damage after guards were slow to respond to her suicide attempt.

The second incident sparked a 2017 lawsuit that led to the appointment of a court-ordered monitor to oversee conditions at the youth prison complex. The state paid more than $25 million in court settlements and legal fees.

The monitor is still overseeing the facilities, as the state has not yet met all of the outlined requirements. After the most recent visit in March, the monitor reported to the department that conditions were improving.

Lincoln Hills currently is home to 50 boys, according to the most recent Department of Corrections data.

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura. 

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lincoln Hills staff member dies after assault by teen at youth prison