GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Northeast Wisconsin lawmakers who sit on statewide public safety and corrections committees are shocked by the news out of Dodge County with regard to Waupun Correctional Institution.
And they are vowing to make changes to the state’s prison system.
“When I watched in horror, the press conference, it was sickening and appalling,” said State Rep. Michael Schraa of Oshkosh.
He chairs the Assembly committee on corrections and says the legislature will dig even deeper to find the failures. Schraa wants to hold investigative hearings, with more oversight of the Department of Corrections by lawmakers.
According to Schraa, “The legislature isn’t here to provide direct oversight over state agencies, but at this point I think we’d be remiss to not step in. These are egregious charges and I believe there is still more to be uncovered.”
While Schraa wants to know if similar behavior and situations are unfolding in other state prisons, State Sen. Andre Jacque says enough talk — action is needed.
“We’ve seen this problem coming for some time with the aging facilities, particularly in Waupun and GBCI,” said Jacque.
FOX 11 has repeatedly reported on concerns with safety issues and deplorable conditions inside Green Bay Correctional Institution — some of the same problems that led to the investigation into and charges against Waupun Correctional staff.
Jacque, like others, is renewing his calls to close these old facilities.
“I can only hope that this will finally serve as a wake up call to the governor. I don’t know how we can continue to turn a blind eye and not do something, just seeing just the full extent of the problems and how it’s just going to get worse.”
Williams and other advocates and families of inmates are encouraged their cries for help are finally being heard, and hopeful change may now be on the way.
“The alarmingness of the atrocities that have gone on should be appalling to all of us, just as human beings. So, I’m happy to hear the recourse, but we still have a lot of things to do,” Williams said.
Rep. Schraa says he will bring all entities with a stake in the prison system to the table, because what has happened is unacceptable — and there needs to be answers, accountability and solutions.
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