Two meetings to shed light on ‘troubles’ in Wisconsin prisons

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Documented problems in Wisconsin’s maximum-security prisons are again the focus this week in Madison. It’s been about a month since 8 employees at Waupun Correctional, including the warden, were arrested and charged in connection to the deaths of two prisoners.

Now, two meetings are on the docket Tuesday. One is a public hearing about conditions within the prisons and the other is to discuss inmate and youth deaths.

Action 2 News will be monitoring both of them as family members of prisoners continue to raise complaints about state prisons.

Molly Hayden’s son, Cheyton, is in prison for violating his probation, after serving time for ‘party to a crime,’ armed robbery and taking and driving a vehicle without consent. He’s been in the DOC’s custody since May of 2023. She says her son has made continued requests for medical help.

Molly showed Action 2 News a letter from her son that reads “Can you please come see me? I didn’t go out Tuesday because I was so weak and sick. I am having serous chest pains and I am still very weak and fatigued.”

It’s one of the reasons Hayden plans to make the trip to Madison on Tuesday to talk the Committee on Corrections during a public hearing. Hayden said the other reason is because her son was transferred to Waupun a few weeks after a bombshell investigation led to charges against several prison employees.

“It was literally the worst place he could have ever been brought to out of all prisons,” said Hayden. “I asked him personally ‘what do you think’s going on in there, that it’s being ran like that?’ He said ‘mom, they are understaffed and overpopulated.’”

According to online records from DOC, last month, Waupun’s vacancy rate for correctional officers and sergeants was 43%. As of Monday, it’s nearing 46%.

Hayden says staffing concerns are troublesome for inmates and prison employees. Current and former correctional staff members are also invited to speak at the hearing on Tuesday. It starts at 10 AM. Hayden said she will be there to advocate for her incarcerated son.

“He’s not asking to be released from prison,” said Hayden. “Nobody’s saying that. We are saying he just needs care.”

Tomorrow at 10 AM, a meeting for the ‘committee of inmate/youth deaths’ will take place at the Department of Corrections. This committee provides the DOC’s secretary and facilities with an objective review of inmate and youth deaths to help improve quality of care.

Action 2 News will be monitoring both meetings on Tuesday.

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