Staff say the order has emboldened the inmates, who are no longer subject to being isolated for weeks at a time for bad behavior without more than an hour of time out of their cells.

But Peterson and attorneys representing inmates in the lawsuit that prompted his ruling said this week it’s up to the DOC to come up with a way to effectively manage inmates’ behavior while also not violating their constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.

Meanwhile, the crisis at the youth prison — which has been under investigation for nearly three years — has spilled into the 2018 governor’s race.

Challenger Tony Evers blasted Walker for never having visited the prison and especially since allegations of abuse and mismanagement surfaced widely in late 2015.

“You can’t manage an agency, let alone address the catastrophe that now is Lincoln Hills, without even talking with the kids and staff that so desperately need help,” Evers said in a statement. “When a building is burning, does the fire chief watch from afar as it burns down? No — a good chief takes charge, gets in there and puts the fire out.”