Mother of inmate at Lincoln Hills fears for his safety

IRMA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The mother of a young inmate being held at Lincoln Hills says her 17-year-old son has been beaten twice inside the youth prison but that's not all he's afraid of.

"I think the thing that scares him the most is when he was jumped by all these children at lunchtime. He saw these guards, who were good guards, who were very nice to the children, get beaten and had to go to a hospital," said Heather Adams, mother of an inmate.

Heather Adams says the lunch hour attack is the second one her son Caleb experience in the 2 and a half months he's been there. While visiting Caleb, she's witnessed a number of things that worry her.

"There's usually always something over the intercoms. There's always people running in and out. It seems very chaotic to me. I've been there and it's 'emergency in the gym, emergency in the gym.' Obviously, there needs to be more help with being able to maintain the children in there," said Adams.

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections says inmates concerned for their safety should contact prison staff. There have been a number of problems at Lincoln Hills recently. This includes two reports of staff members being punched by inmates and a riot.

Just this week, the campus was put on lockdown while staff searched for contraband.