Former guards and inmate families urge lawmakers to fix Wisconsin prisons
MADISON, Wis. — Former Wisconsin prison guards and family members of inmates urged lawmakers Tuesday to address systemic problems within the state’s prison system that have been going on for years.
They detailed allegations of sexual harassment by supervisors, reprisals against prison guards who dare to speak out, and mistreatment of prisoners. Many called for the creation of an independent ombudsman office to investigate complaints.
The hearing took place two weeks after a guard was killed at the state juvenile detention center and a month after several staff members at a maximum-security adult prison were charged in connection with with two deaths among prisoners.
Lawmakers are looking at possible solutions, but the task is difficult because many current employees are afraid to come forward, said Rep. Michael Schraa, chairman of the Assembly Corrections Committee that held Tuesday’s hearing.
“Retribution is a real thing and we’ve all experienced it personally,” said Rebecca Aubart, who leads a group called Ladies of SCI that advocates for inmates at Stanley Correctional Institution. “It’s literally pulling teeth to get people to come and talk to you.”
She said the problems are “everywhere” and that a bipartisan effort is needed to solve them.
“It’s not one person’s fault,” Aubart said. “It’s not one government’s fault.”
Two teens incarcerated at the Lincoln Hills Troubled Juvenile Detention Center – one 16 and one 17 – have been charged in connection with a June 24 battle that left counselor Corey Proulx dead. According to the charges, one of the inmates punched Proulx, who fell and hit his head on the concrete sidewalk. He was 49.
Earlier in June, prosecutors charged Waupun Correctional Institution Warden Randall Hepp and eight members of his staff with various crimes, including misconduct and inmate abuse, in connection with the deaths of two inmates at the maximum-security facility since last year. One of the inmates died of a stroke and the other died of dehydration, according to court documents.
Hepp retired in June and is due in court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing on the charges.
Two other inmates have died at Waupun in the past year. No one has been charged in the deaths, but federal investigators are investigating a suspected smuggling ring at the prison.
Megan Kolb, the daughter of Waupun inmate Dean Hoffmann, who committed suicide in solitary confinement in 2023, filed a petition federal wrongful death lawsuit in February, alleging that Waupun staff failed to provide her father with proper mental health care and medications.
Kolb testified Tuesday that it had been a “painful quest” to obtain her father’s medical records, which she said showed he was not getting the medications he needed and his concerns were ignored.
“My father’s death could have been prevented,” she said.
The juvenile detention center has been under intense scrutiny for years amid allegations of abuse and lawsuits from inmates there. In 2017, the state paid more than $25 million to settle a lawsuit, and a federal judge appointed a monitor to oversee conditions at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake. The monitor, who continues to report on conditions at the detention center, has said conditions are improving.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections was not invited to testify at Tuesday’s hearing, Secretary Jared Hoy said in a letter to the committee. However, he said the department was listening and “will continue to take action to improve our facilities, the safety of our staff, and the well-being of those in our care.”
Hoy described the past few weeks as “challenging” and said the agency continues to improve safety, including through additional training and safety audits.
Hoy also said the department is in the process of hiring a national advisory and management organization to investigate the state’s restrictive housing and other practices and recommend improvements.
Waupun, the state’s oldest prison, built in the 1850s, has long been a purpose for closing amid deterioration, prolonged lockdowns and staff shortages.
The men held there have filed a class-action lawsuit alleging mistreatment, including being denied necessary health care.
The state Department of Corrections is investigating the prison’s operations, and Evers last year asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate smuggling of contraband at the institution.