Tony Evers announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into Waupun, WI’s oldest prison after allegations surfaced of employees smuggling drugs and cell phones into the maximum-security facility.
Nearly a dozen employees were fired since the launch of the investigation, with nine having their employment terminated and two resigning while they were under investigation.
This is following an incident in September where a former facilities repair worker at Waupun Correctional Institution pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling contraband into the prison, including cell phones, tobacco products and controlled substances. Between 2022 and 2023, the former employee had received payments from prisoners, former prisoners and “associates” of prisoners totalling more than $53,000.
The probe began after Wisconsin’s correctional system began to face growing criticism from prison rights activists and families of Waupun prisoners following five in-custody deaths in the span of one year, extended lock-down periods and extremely limited access to healthcare services.
One of the prisoners, Dean Hoffman, 60, died by suicide following nine days in solitary confinement. An investigation following his death revealed that Waupun prison workers had neglected to give Hoffman his bipolar and antidepressant medication more than three-quarters of the time. Hoffman’s family filed a lawsuit against Waupun shortly after his death, alleging that prison staff were “deliberately indifferent” to Hoffman’s serious mental and emotional health needs.
Five months after Hoffman passed away, another prisoner, Tyshun Lemons, 30, died after an accidental overdose on fentanyl. Shortly after, another prisoner at Waupun, Cameron Williams, 24, died of a rare stroke. Fellow prisoners accused prison staff of ignoring Williams’ pleas for help before his death. Both the families of Lemons and Williams filed separate civil rights lawsuits, each alleging that the men were deprived of their constitutional rights protecting against cruel and unusual punishment.
Additional incidents occurred when a prisoner Donald W. Maier, 62, was found dead in his cell due to dehydration and malnutrition. Staff had previously stated they regularly switched off the water to his cell to keep him from flooding his room.
This is not the first time Waupun has been criticized for their treatment of prisoners. In 2017, the state paid more than $25 million to settle a lawsuit and a federal judge appointed a monitor to oversee conditions at the facility. The monitor, who continues to report on conditions at the prison, has said the situation is improving.
