Latest news with #WisconsinDepartmentofCorrections
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
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Advocates ‘back to square one' on prison oversight advocacy
Local advocacy organization JOSHUA held a prayer vigil outside Green Bay Correctional Institution. | Photo by Andrew Kennard for Wisconsin Examiner Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers included a prison accountability office in recommendations for the upcoming state budget. That proposal was tossed out by the state Legislature, along with hundreds of others made by Evers. And so far, prison reform advocates haven't found a Republican sponsor for a separate bill. The proposed Office of the Ombudsperson for Corrections would conduct investigations, inspect prison facilities and make recommendations to prisons in response to complaints. The proposal would cost about $2.1 million from 2025-2027. Deaths of prisoners, staffing problems and lawsuits have drawn attention to serious problems in Wisconsin's prison system. 'How many more millions of dollars are we going to spend in fighting lawsuits, dealing with litigation?' said Susan Franzen of the Ladies of SCI. The prison reform advocacy group wants to see independent oversight of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. 'We're willing to spend that money, but we're not willing to take a million dollars to put something in place that can help start addressing these things and eventually get proactive, so we don't have all this litigation going on against the Department of Corrections,' Franzen said. 'Unfortunately, [Evers] sends us an executive budget that's just piles full of stuff that doesn't make sense and spends recklessly and raises taxes and has way too much policy,' Joint Finance Committee co-chair Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said in May, after the committee killed more than 600 items in Evers' budget proposal. 'So, we'll work from base and the first step of that today is to remove all that policy… and then begin the work of rebuilding the budget.' Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections has already partnered with Falcon Correctional and Community Services, Inc., a consulting and management firm, for a third-party review. The Falcon partnership includes a comprehensive study of the Division of Adult Institutions' health care program, behavioral health program, correctional practices and restrictive housing practices, the Examiner reported. The study was projected to take six months. In February, Gov. Tony Evers laid out a plan for changes to the prison system, including closing Green Bay Correctional Institution and updating Waupun Correctional Institution. Rep. Jerry O'Connor (R-Fond Du Lac), vice chair of the Assembly Committee on Corrections, said 'our first priority' is addressing staff shortages in various areas, ranging from guards to social workers. For the most recent pay period, the DOC reported a vacancy rate of 16% for correctional officers and sergeants at adult facilities. Columbia Correctional Institution has the highest vacancy rate among adult facilities, at 35.4%. Waupun and Green Bay Correctional Institutions have vacancy rates over 20%. The second priority O'Connor listed in an email to the Examiner is the hundreds of millions of dollars needed for facility reorganization. 'Based on the pressing financial requests for address[ing] critical staffing shortages and housing issues, I do not see [the governor's recommendation for an ombudsperson office] getting passed or funded,' O'Connor said. Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) criticized the potential structure of the ombudsperson's office, Wisconsin Public Radio reported in February. 'De facto lifetime appointments (which the ombudsperson appears to be), almost a dozen new bureaucrats, and millions of dollars are not creative solutions,' Felzkowski said, according to WPR. To Franzen, 'it feels like we're back to square one, with the original plan of trying to get a bill, and we'll keep trying,' she said. Ladies of SCI Executive Director Rebecca Aubart said she is still hopeful about finding a Republican to sponsor an ombudsman office. Aubart said she's heard support for oversight of the DOC, , 'but it just appears that nobody's willing to stick their neck out to be the one to sponsor it,' she said. The Examiner reported in October that 20 states had an independent prison oversight body. Michele Deitch, director of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab, wrote about independent oversight in an essay published by the Brennan Center in 2021. 'They can identify troubling practices early, and bring these concerns to administrators' attention for remediation before the problems turn into scandals, lawsuits, or deaths,' Deitch wrote. 'They can share best practices and strategies that have worked in other facilities to encourage a culture of improvement.' The proposed Office of the Ombudsperson for Corrections was described in a summary of the governor's corrections budget recommendations. It would be attached to the Department of Corrections. Officials in the Evers administration said the office would operate in a ''functionally independent'' manner, Wisconsin Public Radio reported in February. Franzen said she'd rather it be completely separate from the DOC, but would support any movement toward some type of oversight at this point. Aubart said independence is a 'cornerstone to any ombudsman.' The proposed office's powers include conducting investigations, having witnesses subpoenaed, inspecting facilities at any time and examining records held by the DOC. If the ombudsperson made a recommendation to a prison regarding a complaint from a prisoner at the facility, a warden would have 30 days to reply. The warden would have to specify 'what actions they have taken as a result of the recommendations and why they are taking or not taking those actions.' If there was reason to believe a public official or employee has broken a law or requires discipline, the ombudsperson could refer the issue to the appropriate authorities. The ombudsperson would report to the governor at the governor's request. Each year, the ombudsperson would submit a report of findings and recommended improvements to policies and practices at state correctional institutions, as well as the results of investigations. Mark Rice, transformational justice campaign coordinator at the advocacy coalition WISDOM, said he also wants to see an additional mechanism to hold the Wisconsin Department of Corrections accountable. 'Currently incarcerated people, and people who have loved ones who are currently incarcerated, need to really be more at the center of decision-making,' Rice said. The co-chairs and vice-chairs of the Joint Committee on Finance did not respond to the Examiner's requests for comment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of hate crime homicide at Green Bay prison formally withdraws insanity plea
A man going to trial in June for the homicide of his cellmate at Green Bay Correctional Institution has withdrawn his insanity plea. Jackson Vogel, 25, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide as a hate crime for the August 2024 death of 19-year-old Micah Laureano. The trial is scheduled for June 2-5. Vogel is accused of strangling Laureano in their shared cell on the night of Aug. 27, 2024. According to court records, Vogel admitted to guards that he killed Laureano because he was "bored," and Micah 'checked all the boxes,' including the teen's race and perceived sexual orientation, which he referred to with slurs. Records indicate that Vogel, who is White, had a history of making death threats and white supremacist declarations before he was placed in a cell with Laureano, who was Black and Hispanic. At his arraignment in October 2024, Vogel pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, commonly referred to as an insanity plea. At a status conference in March, attorneys discussed issues with securing an expert to testify about Vogel's insanity defense. In April, Vogel's attorney, Ann Larson, filed a letter stating that Vogel wished to withdraw that plea and "proceed to jury trial with a not guilty plea." Vogel's plea was not formally changed until Brown County Circuit Court Judge Donald Zuidmulder approved the new plea at Vogel's final pre-trial conference May 21. The change means Vogel's trial will only consist of one phase, rather than possible second phase to determine his criminal responsibility. It also means that if he is convicted, Vogel will face life in prison, rather than the possibility of life in a mental health facility. Vogel is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for attempted homicide in Manitowoc County. According to court records, he repeatedly stabbed his mother in 2016, when he was 16 years old, at their home in Two Rivers. Laureano was serving a three-year sentence for assault and vehicle theft. While the Brown County Sheriff's Office initially stated the two had been cellmates for just hours before Laureano's death Aug. 27, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in May told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that Vogel and Laureano had been cellmates for five days, since Aug. 22. RELATED: Micah Laureano feared for his safety at Green Bay Correctional Institution. Then, he was killed. In a separate criminal case, Vogel is charged in Racine County with one count of threat to a family member of an officer of the court, and one count of threat to a prosecutor. According to a criminal complaint, Vogel, while incarcerated at Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility in spring 2024, mailed death threats to the Manitowoc County judge and prosecutor who oversaw his 2016 case. He has a status conference scheduled for that case after his homicide trial, on June 23. Laureano's mother, Phyllis Laureano, filed a federal lawsuit in February against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and prison officials, alleging they violated her son's constitutional rights by allowing him to suffer cruel and unusual punishment. Laureano's death was the second homicide at Green Bay Correctional Institution in less than two years — and the second resulting in a hate crime charge. Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@ Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @ArseneauKelli. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Man accused of hate crime killing at Green Bay prison withdraws insanity plea
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Pregnant woman punched, 'Most Wanted' Milwaukee man sentenced
The Brief A Milwaukee man has been sentenced to prison for fleeing police and battery. Prosecutors said he beat up a pregnant woman and led police on a high-speed chase. The 30-year-old was profiled on "Wisconsin's Most Wanted" in April 2023. WAUKESHA, Wis. - A Milwaukee man, profiled on "Wisconsin's Most Wanted" in 2023, has now been sentenced to prison after prosecutors said he beat up a pregnant woman and led police on a high-speed chase. In Court Court records show 30-year-old Dashon Payne Young pleaded guilty to fleeing police and misdemeanor battery. Two other felonies and three misdemeanors were dismissed as part of a plea deal. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android Payne Young was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, followed by two years of extended supervision. The backstory FOX6 News previously profiled Payne Young on "Wisconsin's Most Wanted" after U.S. Marshals said he beat up a pregnant woman and "purposely tried to punch her in the stomach." It happened in Waukesha County in April 2023. Prosecutors said Payne Young punched the victim multiple times, slapped her and bit her to the point that police could see each one of his teeth marks on her arm. Officials said he knew the victim was pregnant at the time. Waukesha County authorities responded to the domestic disturbance call. Prosecutors said Payne Young then led police on a high-speed chase near Capitol Drive and Brookfield Road. He crashed near an abandoned gas station and ran off, avoiding capture for weeks. Less than a month before the beating, U.S. Marshals said Payne Young was released on Wisconsin Department of Corrections supervision for a previous robbery conviction. The Source Information in this report is from the U.S. Marshals Service, Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Inmates shouldn't have to barter for menstrual products. Prisons must do better.
Chandra Bozelko will never forget the moment a used pad slipped out of a fellow inmate's underwear. The pad had been worn far too long, an unavoidable consequence of poor-quality materials and limited access to replacements. While this experience occurred in a New York correctional facility, the issue is far from isolated. As of April 2024, only 25 states in the U.S. mandate free access to menstrual products in correctional facilities. Wisconsin is not one of them I received my undergraduate degree from Marquette University. There, I studied Social Welfare and Justice and International Affairs in an effort to understand and advocate for women's rights around the world. But it didn't take long for me to realize that some of the glaring inequalities I saw in my studies exist right here at home, in the state I have grown to love. Incarcerated women in Wisconsin who are forced to bleed through their clothing must confront a reality that reflects a profound disregard for their basic dignity. A group of legislators introduced Assembly Bill 770 in December of 2023 to ensure 'that each state correctional institution provides…feminine hygiene products free of charge to any inmate with an active menstrual cycle.' It failed on April 15th, 2024. This was a costly mistake. This lack of hygiene products forces incarcerated women into undignified positions, some going hungry as a price to pay for hygiene menstrual management. A study in the Journal of Women's Health found that over one quarter of menstruators in correctional facilities had to barter for menstrual hygiene products, forced to trade food and other necessities for tampons and pads. Opinion: Having babies not a patriotic gesture or GDP fixer. Let's truly honor women. Bozelko also recounts correctional facilities providing five pads per cell each week, which houses multiple women, allowing for virtually one change a day for a monthly cycle. This level of deprivation isn't just humiliating: it's dangerous. Product overuse has the potential to cause serious infections, even hysterectomies. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections explains that menstrual products in some prison canteens can be purchased at a 'small cost." Considering that as of 2022, inmates in Wisconsin state prisons are paid $0.12 to $0.42 per hour for most jobs, this 'small cost' can amount to a potentially huge, undue economic burden. The average woman will spend the equivalent of more than eight years of her life managing her period — a natural and recurring part of her biology. Yet for many incarcerated women, this basic reality becomes a source of shame and suffering. Under these conditions, periods effectively act as a punishment. But regardless of the circumstances that led someone to be incarcerated, no one should be stripped of their dignity due to the lack of basic hygiene products. A growing body of research shows that period poverty — or a lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, and education about menstruation — has serious consequences for mental health. Period poverty exacerbates mental health issues and is associated with higher odds of screening positive for depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Poor mental health among inmates has the potential to have drastic impacts on reintegration efforts. The DOC emphasizes reintegration as a top priority in its purpose statement, aiming to 'provide the resources necessary to make positive life changes.' Upholding this mission means that inmates' basic needs must be fulfilled. Reintegration is impossible when individuals are forced into survival mode, struggling each day to maintain their dignity. The lack of access to affordable, sanitary menstrual products undermines the very goal of rehabilitation by placing menstruators into undignified situations. Opinion: Bipartisan bill helps fix gap in obstetrics care for women in rural areas I know many of us are worried about cutting unnecessary expenses. But it makes far more sense to incur a small cost in providing menstrual products that ensure dignity and security, rather than spend thousands treating preventable conditions like toxic shock syndrome caused by product overuse. Ensuring access to menstrual products is not only a basic human right and a matter of dignity — it's also a smart investment that will pay off in the future by reducing future healthcare costs and promoting healthier communities. It's time for the Wisconsin Legislature to revisit and reintroduce new legislation to make women's hygiene products accessible in all prisons across Wisconsin. Doing so would align with the state's commitment to rehabilitation while affirming the basic rights and dignity of people in our correctional system. By supplying menstrual hygiene products in prisons, we take one meaningful step toward a system that values human dignity and allows all incarcerated people to reach their full potential. Sarah Kuhns is a graduate of Marquette University and currently pursuing a Master of Human Rights degree at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Periods shouldn't be used as punishment in WI prisons | Opinion
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
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Assembly Corrections Committee questions DOC Sec. Jared Hoy on budget plan
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections Madison offices. (Photo by Henry Redman/Wisconsin Examiner) Department of Corrections Secretary Jared Hoy took questions from lawmakers on the Assembly Corrections Committee Tuesday, explaining the plan for Gov. Tony Evers' about $500 million state budget request. Hoy previously defended the proposal to the Joint Finance Committee prior to which co-chair Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) had expressed concerns that the plan lacked detail. About $325 million in Evers' proposal would go to overhaul the state's correctional facilities through a 'domino' plan — starting with work to close Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls, which were initially supposed to close in 2021 under 2018 Act 185, and culminating in the closure of the Green Bay Correctional Institution. 'There are a lot of issues with running facilities that are that old,' Hoy said about the Green Bay facility, which was built in 1898. It would cost about $6.3 million for the closure. 'We shouldn't be running prisons in that manner in 2025… We want to do more with our population than what those facilities can afford us to do.' Under the plan, Waupun Correctional Institution would be closed temporarily for renovations, including replacing the existing cells with modern housing for 600 medium-security beds and establishing space for a 'vocational village.' The work on Waupun would cost about $245.3 million and be ready to open in 2031. 'If we are going to keep Waupun open, we are going to completely flip the script. We are going to rewrite the narrative of Waupun,' Hoy said. Hoy said that the idea wouldn't be far from turning the Waupun facility into a 'college campus' where inmates can receive vocational, career and technical education. 'They're living in community together. They're going to school together. They're studying in the evenings together, and it's predicated on robust partnerships with the community so that we have manufacturers out in the community who come in to do the training on site,' Hoy said. Other infrastructure funding would include $130 million to complete construction of a Type 1 youth facility in Dane County, which would be necessary to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake schools, $9 million to convert Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake into a 500-bed facility for men, $8.8 million to convert Stanley Correctional Institution to a maximum-security institution and $56 million to expand Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center by 200 beds. Committee Chair Rep. Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) asked how DOC considered future budgets and whether there would be increases to the cost. 'It's not the full cost of capital and programming for the future, so there's a cost that is going to be harder to quantify when you build this, and you get it up and running,' Kaufert said. Hoy said that closing Green Bay would actually represent a significant decrease in operating budget and updating Waupun would also lead to some decreases. 'Operating Waupun is quite cost prohibitive because [of] the number of staff that you need to run those aging facilities,' Hoy said. 'Running a smaller facility at Waupun…requires less staffing, as well as shutting down Green Bay, your overall operating budget starts to offset [needing] more staff at Sanger Powers [Correctional Center]' to help with the additional beds. Hoy also addressed some of the policy changes meant to address the growing prison population. Wisconsin's prison population as of February was 23,074 and is expected to grow to 24,000 by the end of the biennium, despite the state only having capacity to house 17,638 people across its correctional facilities. 'About a third of our entire population is nonviolent in our prisons, and so we have existing programs that help people get the treatment, get the support and get them back out the door in a timely manner,' Hoy said. 'One of the main mechanisms we have to do that at our disposal is the earned release program.' Evers' plan would expand access to the state's Earned Release Program to allow an additional 2,500 participants. The plan would expand access to workforce training and substance use treatment for people who have 48 months or less left in their sentences for nonviolent offenses to support this. Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) asked if the state is hitting a 'tipping point' when it comes to its prison population. 'Are we at the point of even thinking about sending people to other jails? Are we thinking about sending people out of state?' Stubbs asked. 'Our incarceration numbers right now… are very high.' Hoys said that would be a 'nuclear' option, given that it would take people away from their families and community. 'I have no intention, no desire to send people out of state,' Hoys said, but added that 'at some point our options are going to run out.' Hoys said DOC is leveraging jail contracts as much as it can and noted that one change that is being sought in the budget is an increase to the daily rate. Right now, he said the rate is capped at $60 a day and he wants that bumped to $80 to match the rate for federal inmates. 'If I'm a sheriff and I'm looking at taking in-state guys versus federal guys or women for that matter, I'm going to choose the federal folks because the price tag [is] better,' Hoy said. 'I want to be able to have that as a resource. Again, I'd like to keep everybody in our facilities as opposed to county jails, but that is a safety valve for us that we currently do utilize.' Kaufert, who was newly elected to his seat in November, noted that during his previous tenure in the state Legislature in the 1990s, lawmakers on the corrections committee toured facilities in other states where Wisconsin inmates were being held. 'I don't want to make that mistake again,' Kaufert said. Rep. Benjamin Franklin (R-De Pere) asked whether DOC would at least consider building a new facility to replace the Green Bay one. He added that he recently spoke to the Brown County sheriff, who said there are hundreds of people at home on ankle bracelets because there just isn't enough space. 'I want to commend the governor for acknowledging that that needs to go away — GBCI,' Franklin said. 'We definitely did look… but to just replace Green Bay [maximum] facility — same size, same number of beds — you're approaching a billion dollars, if not more,' Hoy said, adding that the state also got an estimate of about $800 million for a smaller facility. 'If I was looking across our population right now, and we were packed to the gills with violent offenders… I wouldn't be saying, no, let's not build anything. I'd be saying… we need to make sure our communities are safe and continue to house these people,' Hoy said. 'But when I'm sitting on, you know, a third of 23,000 people that are non-violent… I believe it's not only the right thing to do, but fiscally responsible to give those folks a chance in the community.' Rep. Jerry O'Connor (R-Fond Du Lac) asked how far up DOC is on Evers' priority list. Noting the University of Wisconsin system budget and the public K-12 funding challenges, he said that everyone is seeking funding from the same pot of money. Wisconsin has a $4 billion budget surplus and Evers had suggested raising taxes on the wealthiest Wisconsinites. 'I think we're pretty close to the top, and I'm not just saying that because I'm the secretary of DOC. I mean I think it's one of his biggest priorities,' Hoy said. Kaufert expressed interest in having more committee hearings with DOC about the plan. 'There's so many arms and legs on this that one impacts the other,' Kaufert said, adding that they could break it down to have more time to speak about all the pieces. He noted that if they are spending hundreds of millions and ending up with less beds, they better have 'darn good answers' for taxpayers. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
