It's mission is to protect the public and provide opportunities for offenders to turn their lives around.  Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections are appearing before a group of Milwaukee Common Council members who are working to find solutions to this community's crime problem.  

Alderman Bob Donovan reemphasized they want to better understand and how to bring down the crime rate in the city.

Staff members of the Department of corrections were in the hot seat this morning.

They discussed how they deal with both youth and adults in custody and during probation periods.

In Both cases they say their goals are to work with those who come through the department to try to come up with a plan to try to prevent them going through the system again.

For adults that means job training, and social interaction.

For youth, it's a little different mostly focusing on education.

Like most of the meetings in the past a lot of the questions surrounding Lincoln hills were brought up.

Despite the controversy, DOC officials say they feel educational programs set up at Lincoln hills for the youth  are successful.

Members of the department of corrections invited the committee to visit Lincoln hills.

No word of the aldermen will take them up on their office.