With a “Shawshank Redemption”-style stone exterior and excessive castle-like guard towers, Wisconsin’s oldest jail, constructed within the 1850s, has lengthy been a goal for closure amid issues about deterioration, prolonged lockdowns, and staffing shortfalls.
Randall Hepp, warden of the Waupun Correctional Establishment, was charged with misconduct in public workplace. The opposite eight face fees of inmate abuse, which is a felony, and three of them — two correctional officers and a correctional sergeant — are additionally charged with misconduct in public workplace. All 9 had court docket appearances on June 5.
“We’re working the oldest jail within the state of Wisconsin in a harmful and reckless method,” Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt, who led the investigation, mentioned at a information convention asserting the fees.
One inmate whose loss of life was dominated a murder had his water turned off for a major period of time, was not intently monitored regardless of refusing to eat, and didn’t have direct contact with a physician as a result of he was in restrictive housing, Schmidt mentioned. One other inmate who had a stroke was useless in his cell for at the very least 12 hours earlier than he was discovered.
Hepp, who faces as much as 3 1/2 years in jail if he’s convicted, introduced final week that he deliberate to retire on the finish of June and that Deputy Warden Brad Mlodzik would take over. He mentioned in an e mail to Waupun employees that he had helped enhance “security and order” on the jail.
“It’s wonderful to understand how far we’ve come,” Hepp wrote. “We additionally know we’ve extra to do.”
Three of the 4 deaths are topic to federal lawsuits, the state Division of Corrections is investigating the jail’s operations, and the governor final 12 months requested the U.S. Division of Justice to get entangled.
Jared Hoy, who heads the Division of Corrections, mentioned in a press release that greater than 20 individuals stay below inner investigation, at the very least eight are on administrative go away and 9 others had been fired or have retired because the probe started a 12 months in the past.
Given the continuing investigation, Hoy requested the sheriff to maintain his probe open and share all of his findings so far “as quickly as potential and with none additional delay.”
Schmidt mentioned he may reopen the investigation into extra felony fees if the inner state probe reveals further proof.
The primary of the 4 inmates who died, Dean Hoffman, killed himself in solitary confinement final June. Hoffman’s daughter filed a federal lawsuit in February alleging that jail officers failed to offer her father with satisfactory psychological well being care and medicines.
Tyshun Lemons and Cameron Williams had been each discovered useless on the facility in October. Dodge County Medical Examiner PJ Schoebel mentioned Lemons overdosed on acetyl fentanyl, a potent opioid painkiller, and Williams died of a stroke.
Donald Maier was discovered useless on the jail in February. Schmidt mentioned his loss of life was dominated a murder as a consequence of malnutrition and dehydration. All the fees are associated to the deaths of Williams and Maier.
Waupun’s issues lengthen past the inmate deaths. Governor Tony Evers’ workplace mentioned in March that federal investigators had been wanting right into a suspected smuggling ring involving jail staff.
Governor Evers mentioned on June 5 in response to the fees being filed that everybody who did not do their job can be held accountable.
“Every one that’s did not do their job to the excessive stage that we count on or deal with individuals in our care with the dignity, humanity, and respect they deserve must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the regulation—it’s that straightforward,” Governor Evers mentioned in a press release. “There have to be accountability and justice. And I imagine accountability and justice insist that each inner and regulation enforcement investigations should proceed till they’ve been exhaustively and totally accomplished.
Governor Evers directed the Division of Corrections (DOC) to finish their inner investigations and share the outcomes with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Workplace for potential additional motion. He additionally instructed {that a} public report be launched with the investigation findings, guaranteeing it complied with state and federal legal guidelines and didn’t intervene with ongoing investigations.
“We have now an obligation to guarantee that individuals in our care, officers and employees, and our communities are protected,” added Governor Evers. “And the felony justice system should maintain each wrongdoer to account.”
In June 2023, Governor Evers and the DOC requested federal regulation enforcement authorities to conduct an in-depth investigation into potential felony actions at WCI involving a conspiracy to carry contraband, together with cell telephones, unlawful medication, and different prohibited gadgets, into the establishment. The federal regulation enforcement investigation stays ongoing.
The allegations adopted the DOC conducting a number of housing sweeps of WCI throughout which they recognized people within the establishment had been managing to acquire contraband. An preliminary, inner investigation performed by the DOC revealed allegations of potential worker involvement in these unlawful actions, together with data suggesting monetary crimes might have occurred.
Inside days of that preliminary investigation concluding and revealing the potential involvement of staff, and given the multi-jurisdictional nature of the allegations, the Evers Administration requested federal regulation enforcement to research these claims and convey fast accountability for any people collaborating in circumventing state and federal legal guidelines.
The state Division of Corrections imposed a lockdown at Waupun, and at prisons in Inexperienced Bay and Stanley final 12 months as a consequence of a scarcity of guards. Waupun inmates filed a federal lawsuit in October alleging the the situations amounted to merciless and strange punishment. That lawsuit continues to be pending.
Schmidt mentioned he didn’t imagine the lockdown had something to do with the inmates’ deaths.
Stanley resumed regular operations in November. Motion restrictions have eased at Waupun and Inexperienced Bay, however as of the division’s newest replace in April, in-person visitation had not resumed at Waupun and recreation time was nonetheless restricted. Prisoners had been being allowed to make cellphone calls and textual content utilizing digital tablets, nonetheless.
Waupun is one among 5 maximum-security prisons in Wisconsin. The ability held 712 inmates as of Could 31, based on the state Division of Corrections newest inhabitants report. The jail is designed to carry up 882 inmates.
