 MSDF By Gretchen Schuldt
Gov. Tony Evers is proposing to spend $8.1 million to improve heating and ventilation at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), an indication that he won't shut down the facility as its critics demand. Heat index temperatures can hit more than 90 degrees in much of the 15-story building and 120 degrees in the kitchen, according to state budget documents. The proposed project, which would be completed in 2023, would improve the situation, according to the Department of Corrections (DOC). Mark Rice, an ex-MSDF inmate and an organizer of the "Close MSDF" campaign, called for more. "A true people's budget focused on racial equity, justice, and compassion must include a plan to divest from Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility and other prisons in Wisconsin and redirect resources to the neighborhoods in Milwaukee that have been the most harmed by incarceration," said Rice, now lead national organizer for JustLeadershipUSA, a group working to reducing mass incarceration. MSDF is a medium-security prison in Downtown Milwaukee that also holds inmates pending investigations into their alleged probation, parole, or extended supervision violations. It has a design capacity of 1,038. DOC said in its budget request that the facility's population regularly exceeds 1,100 inmates. More than half suffer from serious mental illness and about 75 percent receive daily psychotropic drugs. "These drugs often create additional health concerns for inmates in high heat index situations," DOC said.
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By Gretchen Schuldt Wisconsin keeps more people on parole longer than most other states, and more parole terms end with incarceration here than in other states, according to a report released Tuesday by the Columbia Justice Lab. “Our report contains troubling findings that Wisconsin is wasting money and wasting lives by supervising and violating thousands of people not for new crimes, but for technical violations of supervision,” Vincent Schiraldi, co-director of the Justice Lab and former Commissioner of New York City Probation, said in a prepared statement. “Wisconsin should now follow the example of dozens of states and focus community supervision resources on those most in need of it, stop returning people to prison for ‘ticky-tack’ rule violations, and use the savings from such reforms to fund programs and opportunities that help people turn their lives around.” Below are highlights from the report, "The Wisconsin Community Corrections Story." The language generally taken straight from the document (omitting citations). The facts
 Heredia and Sisavath By Gretchen Schuldt
All they want to do is get married, but those wedding bells have been tough to come by. Wendy Sisavath and Victoriano Heredia, an inmate at Wisconsin's Fox Lake Correctional Institution. have been trying for almost a year to get someone at the prison to get involved so they can do what they need to do to get down the aisle and exchange vows. No luck. They filed the original paperwork in February or March of last year and are no closer to the altar than they were then. "We are banging our heads against the wall," Sisavath said. DOC spokesman Tristan Cook said in a November email that the agency was actively reviewing the wedding request. '"Inmate Heredia’s social worker is working with him," Cook wrote. Cook has since left his job. DOC did not respond to a follow-up email sent Friday. Heredia got a new social worker in November, his third since June. This latest social worker, Sisavath said, insisted "'I don't do the marriage thing. It goes through the chaplain.'" Getting hitched in prison is way more complicated than getting married on the outside; the Department of Corrections' inmate marriage policy is five pages long. Among other things, it requires extensive counseling for every couple. Officials at the prison must approve the counselor. Sisavath said she and Heredia first were told they would have to undergo six months of marriage counseling. Then, because Heredia is a lifer, prison officials changed the requirement to 12 months. Heredia is required to have $2,000 on hand to cover counseling costs, including the cost of guards at the counseling sessions, even though the area is guarded anyway. That $2,000 is a problem in itself. Heredia doesn't have it in his available prison account, and if Sisavath were to give it to him, she would be unable to get it back if something happened and the marriage did not come off. Inmates are not allowed to send money from their accounts out of the institution. 1.8 million hours in state prison overtime, costing $51 million, logged in fiscal 2018, DOC reports1/10/2019 By Gretchen Schuldt Correctional officers and sergeants logged 1.8 million hours of overtime at adult facilities last year at a cost of almost $51 million, according to a new Department of Corrections report. That amounts to 34,714 hours a week, or 3,001 hours more per week than the overtime worked by all DOC workers in 2015-16, according to a 2017-19 budget paper prepared by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Security staff worked an average of 28,235 hours per week overtime in 2015-16, according to the LFB. Almost half of last year's overtime was attributable to employees plugging holes when positions were vacant, according to DOC. The new figures cover the year ending July 1. Correctional officers and sergeants at Dodge Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison for men, recorded a total of 212,734 overtime hours at a total cost of $6.2 million, tops in the adult system, according to the report. Some 67 percent of that was due to staff vacancies, the report said. Overall, system wide, position vacancies required 844,195 hours of overtime at a cost of $24.6 million, according to the report. That is 47 percent of the hours and cost of overtime. Other reasons for overtime including sick leave, construction project detail, assisting inmates with medical visits, trips, and training, according to the report. Gov. Tony Evers took office this week vowing to reduce prison populations. Some legislators want to build additional facilities, though the state cannot staff the ones they have. In May, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 920 jobs at state prisons were empty, a 12.5 percent vacancy rate.  DOC seeks money, staff to improve Racine prison health care as inmates wait for dental services10/3/2018  By Gretchen Schuldt More than 400 Racine Correctional Institution inmates were waiting to see a dentist as of July, and 23 of those had waited more than 40 weeks, according to a state budget request. Fifty-seven inmates on the list were waiting for "essential services" and 41 were waiting for dentures. Dental care at the prison is "inadequate," the request said. The Department of Corrections detailed the need for improved dental services at RCI in the 2019-21 budget request it submitted to Gov. Scott Walker, who has not visited a state prison during his years in office. The department is seeking 27 new positions to staff the new $8 million health services unit at RCI scheduled to open in April 2020. The department also is seeking $1 million in fiscal 2020 and $2.8 million in fiscal 2021 to pay for the new positions. The share of new staff that would go to dental services is fairly minimal - a 60 percent full-time equivalent dentist, a 60 percent full-time equivalent dental assistant, and a 20 percent full-time equivalent dental hygienist. Those position should, however, help the institution "rectify the inadequate dental care that inmates receive as a result of long delays" in getting treatment, the request said. Wisconsin is not alone in struggling to meet inmate dental needs. Standards vary from state to state and agency to agency, according to a report by The Marshall Project. "Even before their incarceration, prisoners are likely to have unmet dental needs, research shows," The Marshall Project reported. "While in prison, they have a constitutional right to dental care, but the courts have offered little guidance on the services that institutions must provide. If a tooth or gum problem is causing more than minimal pain, facilities are required to treat it, said David Fathi, director of the ACLU National Prison Project. 'Even a few days of untreated dental pain is not allowed.' ” Also included in the budget request for the new facility is funding for guards, nurses, and medical assistants. The new unit, triple the size of the existing one, will allow DOC to better meet health care needs, the request said. As of May, it said, "41.6 percent of RCI’s inmates had a mental health condition and 7.7 percent of inmates had a severe mental illness. ... Additionally, the DOC believes that the inmate population will continue to age going forward, which will further increase the need for expanded health services to inmates. "  Source: DOC 2019-21 budget request With the smaller facility and smaller staff used now, staff members "currently struggle to consistently monitor chronic conditions," the request said.
There are seven to 10 offsite medical visits every day, and about one of those is a trip to the local emergency room. "These offsite treatments not only have greater medical costs but also require at least one security staff member to accompany inmates on trips out of the institution," the request said. Adding the requested staff would allow for improved preventative care for inmates, it said. "Inmates’ chronic conditions, such as HIV, diabetes, and hypertension, would be less likely to worsen while they are incarcerated and less likely to result in expensive hospital visits," the request said. Improved on-site health care also means fewer off-site trips for corrections staff, it said. If the prison does not get the additional staff, it will have to rely on contracted help and limited-term employees, who are employees who sign on for short stints and do not plan to stay. Contracted and limited-term employees are harder to recruit and have higher turnover than full-time employees, the request said. Relying on contracted and limited-term employees also would reduce the benefits of the new building as they "provide less continuity of care to patients due to their higher turnover and they are often less experienced than FTE staff," the request said. By Gretchen Schuldt More than 400 inmates serving state prison sentences pass their time in county jails each day. Those inmates have little programming and little to do except mingle with an ever-changing cast of pre-trial detainees of all security levels. The jails profit nicely from the arrangement – the state pays them $51.50 per day per inmate – to house the state's overflow. County jail time is "abysmal," according to Daniel Monge, who spent nine months of his state prison sentence in jail. "County jail time is tough - it's really tough," he said. “If push comes to shove and you have to do one or the other, my vote actually is to build a new prison because serving time in a county jail is no joke," he said. "It’s extremely rough, it’s extremely awful, it’s borderline inhumane.” Monge was a panelist at the recent "Inmate 501" presentation by State Rep. Evan Goyke at Turner Hall. Below is a video of Monge; former inmate James Cross; and Goyke talking about state jail time. (There is more video from the event, sponsored by Milwaukee Turners and the Confronting Mass Incarceration work group, posted on the WJI Facebook page.) A list of participating jails follows the video. Contracted facilities, including jails, holding state inmates serving state sentences.  Department of Corrections: Inmates Under Control Feb. 2, 2018 This is the final installment in WJI's "Our crowded Wisconsin prisons" series that details the building repairs, upgrades, and new facilities the Department of Corrections requested as part of the 2017-19 state budget. Here is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7. The great majority of the budget requests, including those for health facility improvements and adequate food preparation areas, were denied. Instead, Walker and the Legislature established a committee to study prison facility needs. The Legislature and governor did approve spending $7 million to build a geriatric prison facility. The authorization came as an amendment to Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget, and it is not clear how many inmates the facility will serve or whether it will meet the Department of Corrections' needs. There were no requests submitted by the DOC for the facilities included in this last round-up. They are included to show how crowded facilities are and to serve as a reminder that action is needed to reduce the prison population, not just increase prison capacity. Classification: Medium security Capital budget request: None  Department of Corrections: Inmates Under Control Feb. 2, 2018 Classification: Minimum security (center system) Capital budget request: None  Department of Corrections: Inmates Under Control Feb. 2, 2018 Institution: Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility Classification: Medium security Capital budget request: None  Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility  Department of Corrections: Inmates Under Control Feb. 2, 2018 By Gretchen Schuldt The state's prison study committee – the one to which Assembly Speaker Robin Vos refused to appoint Democrats – held its first meeting, according to the Kewaunee County Comet. The committee already has approved "a request for proposal (RFP) for a 'committee consultant' to be responsible for conducting an analysis of all correctional institutions and centers and providing the Committee with recommendations to resolve facility needs statewide," the Comet reported. "A key part of the RFP is a requirement for a review of a proposal by Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, to decommission the Green Bay Correctional Institution and builld a new state prison in Northeast Wisconsin, possibly in Kewaunee County," the Comet said. While state officials ponder whether to sell the 100-year-old facility, the Legislature and Gov. Walker, as part of the 2017-19 budget, approved $18.5 million in new spending for cell hall improvements, raising to $22.2 million the total earmarked for the project. Rejected was a $10.8 million request from the Department of Corrections for constructoinof a new health / psychological services unit. This is part 5 in our series on Wisconsin prisons, how crowded they are, and what the Department of Corrections said is needed to improve, repair, and maintain them. Here is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. As always, this primer does not really address the consequences of the crowding and physical shortcomings of the institutions – the impacts on inmates and staff. But we sure hope you will keep them in mind as you consider the price of mass incarceration. Institution: Green Bay Correctional Institution, Portage Classification: Maximum security Capital budget request 1: $18,482,000 Status: Approved From the request: This project would provide new electrical/lighting, electronics, heating and ventilation systems in both the North and South Cells; and plumbing in the South Cell. The project work would replace the current electrical system with needed circuits and convert to GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter), and upgrade lighting to energy efficient and security rated light fixtures, as the existing electrical systems were designed to 1950s standards and do not meet current building standards. Most of the electrical troughs that run throughout the cell halls, are heavily rusted. These troughs serve as the electrical system ground and if rusted through, wires will become exposed. The project would replace outlets, electrical panels and troughs to accommodate the 592 cells. The tier lighting, attic lighting and all common area lighting will need to be replaced/upgraded in both cell halls. This project would enhance the security of the cell halls by adding an electronic intercom system. This system would significantly improve communication and safety of inmates by providing a way to contact staff during medical or other emergencies. This project would also install cabling/wiring for TV, door, alarms and controls. South Cell Hall plumbing will be replaced with this project. This will include the replacement of the existing approximate four gallon per flush porcelain toilets and sinks with more efficient stainless steel single unit lavatories. Most of the electrical troughs that run throughout the cell halls, are heavily rusted. These troughs serve as the electrical system ground and if rusted through, wires will become exposed.   Source: Department of Corrections Offenders Under Control on Dec. 22, 2017 The heating/ventilation system uses four outdated heaters in each cell hall and needs to be replaced. If any of the heaters fail, there is no redundancy to provide backup heat. The existing heaters pull in a minimum of 50% outside air in the winter. The exhaust fans on the roof pull out the difference. The steam heat system is well over 60 years old and should be replaced to provide reliability for these critical housing units. ... The supply lines and sewage pipes are very old and develop leaks on a continual basis so this project will include replacement of the drains, waste and vent piping and potable water lines. It will also provide penal style water control systems to reduce/eliminate exposure to raw sewage, and reduce daily maintenance. Capital budget request 2: $10,830,000 Status: Rejected From the request: This project would construct a new Health Services Unit (HSU) / Psychological Services Unit, designed to meet the medical, dental, psychological, and therapeutic needs of our diverse inmate population. Health Services Unit to include: one waiting area, examination rooms, offices for health services professionals, offices for clinical services professionals, a programming group room, medical and clinical records storage, climate controlled secured medication and supply room, dental operatory, a multi-purpose therapy room, a telemedicine system, a radiology room, lab spaces, officer stations and other related spaces. The goal of this project is to provide GBCI with the resources necessary to provide ambulatory health care services for all inmates at GBCI, utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach (physical and mental health wellness) in an environment that is safe for caregivers and inmates. GBCI has a high percentage of inmates with psychotropic needs. The existing HSU was built in the early 1960s. The layout doesn’t meet the guideline of a maximum security health services unit building. ... The existing HSU was built in the early 1960s. The layout doesn’t meet the guideline of a maximum security health services unit building. The HSU does not have a waiting area or a central location for storage of inmate medical records; medication storage is not adequate. The HSU presents security and space concerns. The layout of current HSU doesn’t meet the guideline of a maximum security HSU Building. GBCI is faced with an aging inmate population with increased medical needs. The inmate population at GBCI has a high proportion of psychotropic medications needs inmates. There are a significant number of inmates that require the use of wheelchairs or other assistive devise for mobility. Continued use of the current Health Service Unit will be unable to meet the health care needs of 1,091 inmates given the aging and types of infirmities of the population. ... Insufficient space and inefficient layout of the HSU contribute to a wide variety of concerns relating to safety, effectiveness and efficiency of staff, security of the institution and inmate health care. For example, the dental hygienist must work in a separate room from the dental staff due to existing layout constraints. This means an additional correctional officer must also staff that area. Institution: Oshkosh Correctional Institution, Oshkosh Classification: Medium security Capital budget request: None   Source: Department of Corrections Offenders Under Control on Dec. 22, 2017 Institution: Sturtevant Transitional Facility, Sturtevant Classification: Minimum security Capital budget request: None   Source: Department of Corrections Offenders Under Control on Dec. 22, 2017  Goyke Inmates at Columbia Correctional Institution sleep on the floor because there are not enough beds, according to a Department of Corrections budget request. Others are released from prison directly from a solitary confinement unit where they "are single celled, have no movement, eat in cell, recreate alone or segregated, and have very limited property." The released inmates "not only haven’t functioned in society in some time, but they haven’t functioned in general population of the institution in some time, if ever," DOC said in its request for $25,354,000. The State Legislature and Gov. Scott Walker said no and established a study committee to discuss the state's prison needs. What could go wrong? This is part 4 in our series on Wisconsin prisons, how crowded they are, and what the Department of Corrections said is needed to improve, repair, and maintain them. Here is Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. And here is a link to a video of State Rep. Evan Goyke's presentation, titled "Inmate 501: Converging Problems in Wisconsin's Prison System," on the choices for Wisconsin's prison future. As he says in his accompanying publication, "Inmate 501 will be the first Wisconsin inmate sent out of state because of overcrowding in nearly 20 years. Recent prison population growth is set to exceed all available options in state. We face challenging decisions. Do we send people out of state? Do we build a new prison? Do we reform?" Goyke votes for reform. So do we. This primer does not really address the consequences of the crowding and physical shortcomings of the institutions – the impacts on inmates and staff. But we sure hope you will keep them in mind as you consider the price of mass incarceration. Institution: Columbia Correctional Institution, Portage Classification: Maximum security Capital budget request: $25,354,000 Status: Rejected From the request: This project would construct a new 100-cell Transitional Housing Unit next to the current housing Unit 9 building for inmates with special program needs, including inmates needing to integrate back into general population after long periods in segregation. ... The Transitional Housing Unit will be ADA compliant and able to accommodate inmates with special physical needs, such as being confined to a wheelchair. It would be preferable that at least 50% of the cells are on ground level, and would not require the use of a lift. At a minimum, in order for CCI to be ADA compliant, 16% of the cells must be built on ground level. The Transitional Housing Unit will have single and double cells (approximately 20% of the total cells will be double cells). It will also have programming space for group and individual programming, a dayroom for eating meals and for recreation, a food servery for preparing meal trays, an officer’s control bubble, an officer’s workstation in the dayroom, storage space for supplies/equipment, storage space to house medications, a unit laundry for inmate clothing, and office space for staff such as clinicians, social workers, and housing unit management staff. Expansion to the RH2 building will include program/treatment areas, staff offices, no-contact visiting space, and storage. In addition, the recreation pens will be covered to allow for outdoor recreation in all seasons. The RH2 currently does not have any programming space, or adequate treatment space. Inmates are evaluated by health services staff and psychological services staff in the dayroom providing for no means of confidentiality. There is inadequate storage space requiring supplies to be stored in the open of the dayroom. There is no office space for staff in RH2, and staff currently uses limited office space in other buildings in the institution.   Source: DOC Offenders Under Control on Dec. 1, 2017 The new Transitional Housing Unit will be built to allow for flexibility in programming to meet the needs of the dynamic inmate population at CCI. This includes inmates needing to integrate back into general population after long stays in restrictive housing (greater than 120 days), inmates prone to self-harm, and inmates that struggle to function in general population. This might include inmates with temporary physical limitations (possibly after surgery), inmates with serious mental health issues, or inmates with gender identity disorders. This type of flexibility in a housing unit is a critical need at CCI for the following reasons:
Inmates are evaluated by health services staff and psychological services staff in the dayroom providing for no means of confidentiality.
The environment in RH1 can be very loud and disruptive and not conducive to overcoming thoughts or behaviors of self-harm.
Institution: New Lisbon Correctional Institution, New Lisbon Classification: Medium security Capital budget request: $0   Source: DOC Offenders Under Control on Dec. 1, 2017 Institution: Oakhill Correctional Institution, Sturtevant Classification: Minimum security Capital budget request: $5,042,000 Status: Rejected From the request: This project would install high efficiency boilers in various buildings at Oakhill Correctional Institution (OCI), designed to replace the existing central boiler steam system and underground steam piping, underground condensate piping, steam traps, and condensate tanks. ... A fourth boiler was added in 2006 and is primarily used is for low pressure summer loads. Upon completion of this project, the fourth boiler will be transferred to another DOC facility that is in need of a summer boiler.   Source: DOC Offenders Under Control on Dec. 1, 2017 By Gretchen Schuldt This is part 3 of our look at state prisons, how crowded they are, and what the Department of Corrections said during budget preparation it needed to fix and maintain them. Part 1 is here; part 2 is here. We will say this in every post because it is worth repeating: This primer does not really address the consequences of the crowding and physical shortcomings of the institutions – the impacts on inmates and staff. But we sure hope you will keep them in mind as you consider the price of mass incarceration. Institution: Taycheedah Correctional Institution, Waupun Classification: Women's prison Capital budget request: $9,389,000 Status: Rejected From the request: This project would construct a new 36,000 GSF modern style dorm housing unit, with some internal division for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) beds, beds for our aging population, and beds for general population inmates for a total of no less than 180 beds. Sufficient room needs to be included for the AODA programing to occur, for community service activities to continue, and for a servery and dayroom area to accommodate the dorm population. Consideration should be given to the importance of separating the AODA program participants remaining from the other activities of the unit. DOC received a Block Grant of $150,000 which requires separation of the AODA participants from general population. Inmates participating in the AODA program typically do not have institution jobs, with their main focus on their programming needs.   Source: DOC Offenders Under Control on Nov. 17, 2017 AODA – Currently located in Adams Hall, which is the second oldest building at Taycheedah. Adams Hall is a 3-story brick building with general population on the 1st and 3rd floors, and a combination of general population and AODA participants on the second floor, for a total of about 170 inmates. Until recently, the second floor of Adams Hall occupied only the AODA participants. With the increase in female inmate population, the other two floors of Adams Hall have been opened with as many as 10 inmates to a room. Adams Hall was not originally constructed with indoor plumbing, rather it was retrofitted with plumbing in the cells in the 1970’s. Unfortunately, the plumbing leaks on a regular basis into areas on the first floor. Although doing their best, staff is not able to keep up with the repairs and maintenance concerns of this building. The thick walls and steam heat with no air exchange system make summers in Adams Hall often too hot to hold productive AODA groups. In the winter the hot water radiators with no controls make it equally difficult to regulate the temperature. Adams Hall also has a lack of cameras making it non-compliant with Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) guidelines. The third floor of Harris Hall has deteriorated to the point it is no longer safe to occupy and the cost to renovate would be excessive. Adams Hall is also plagued with failing plumbing, failing concrete decorations on the exterior, lack of ventilation, and poor utilization of space. Community Service and the Aging population – Currently Harris Hall is where inmates who are aging aspire to be housed. There are a limited number of beds available in this, Taycheedah’s oldest building, so a good conduct history is required to be assigned to Harris Hall. Because many of these same inmates also have an interest and skill in sewing and knitting, Community Service is currently run out of Harris Hall. The Community Service group is responsible for many of the quilts, blankets and other craft items donated back to the community via local nonprofit groups. Because of their age, health issues, and/or dependency on medical appliances, the new facility should be designed to meet current ADA standards. The design should include the ability to accommodate 20 or more inmates with physical limitations. General Population Inmate - The current dorm is well received by the inmates housed there. The open style and social dynamic is easy to supervise and a good fit for the female offender population. Servery – The servery must be able to accommodate both tray line service and delivery of modified medical diet prepared in Food Service and delivered to the unit. Refrigeration, proper hot storage, under the counter dish washer, hand washing, and plenty of storage will be required. The current dining facility at Prescott was designed to feed about 400 inmates; unfortunately our current population is over 800. Unfortunately, the plumbing leaks on a regular basis into areas on the first floor. Although doing their best, staff is not able to keep up with the repairs and maintenance concerns of this building. The female population is 200 inmates higher today than it was when the John C. Burke Correctional Center was converted to a male facility in December of 2011. The Wisconsin Women’s Correctional System has experienced a steady increase in population since December 2011; December of 2011 the population was 1,148; December of 2012 was 1,222; December 2013 was 1,230; December 2014 was 1,343; December 2015 was 1403; August 2016 (current) population is 1,360. Both Adams Hall and Harris Hall were opened in the early 1900s. Neither building is considered accessible by today’s ADA standards. Each building has many HVAC, plumbing and exterior masonry issues. The third floor of Harris Hall has deteriorated to the point it is no longer safe to occupy and the cost to renovate would be excessive. Adams Hall is also plagued with failing plumbing, failing concrete decorations on the exterior, lack of ventilation, and poor utilization of space. Adams Hall is located on the northeast side of the institution grounds, away from the rest of the housing and many institutional services. Construction of a new dorm will allow the DOC to replace two aging and expensive to maintain buildings. A new building will also allow for better supervision by security and better access for those with physical impairments to other institution facilities. Adams did house a minimal amount of inmates at one time, but now it is full and the 1st and 3rd floors are staffed 24/7 with unallocated positions. Institution: Waupun Correctional Institution, Waupun Classification: Maximum security Capital budget request 1: $6,981,000 Status: Approved From the request: This project would construct improvements that include: cell front doors, operators and locking mechanisms, ADA improvements, plumbing improvements, electrical upgrades, telephone upgrades, heating and ventilating improvements, security camera monitoring and recording improvements, and a fire suppression and smoke control system. ADA improvements for the building will be contained to those required for inmates including cells, showers and toilet facilities. Three inmate housing cells would be converted into two accessible cells, which would provide 2% of all cells required for compliance. ... The existing fire protection system consists of a 2.5-inch fire main extending throughout the building to several Fire Hose cabinets. No fire suppression sprinkler system is currently in the building. ... The intent is to fully sprinkle, with detention sprinkler heads, the cells and inmate areas. The fire department connection will be extended outside the prison wall for easy access to the fire department. ... Three inmate housing cells would be converted into two accessible cells, which would provide 2% of all cells required for (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. The facility has a 20-ton water chiller with remote air-cooled condenser to provide tempered air to the basement. The two compressors for this unit are no longer working and the chiller is no longer in operation. ... Additional cameras and equipment will be added as requested by the facility. Some existing cameras will be replaced with new as directed by the facility. The surveillance system will be connected to the Central Control via existing fiber backbone cabling. The Central Control existing system matrix will need to be reprogrammed for the additional cameras. All 1960s vintage panels will be replaced with new equipment. The panel at the officer’s station cage is currently used to turn the ceiling and wall lighting on and off daily by switching circuit breakers. Breakers are not designed to be used as switches on a regular basis so new switches are required.   Source: DOC Offenders Under Control on Nov. 17, 2017 This building contains 59 single occupancy cells. It houses inmates with a wide range of issues including: Psychological disorders combined with behavioral instability and other needs in a "therapeutic community” environment. These inmates have an inability to function adequately within the general population. The original building was built in 1956 as a segregation unit. There was an addition to the building put on in 1982. There have not been any major upgrades to this building since it was built, nor to the addition. This is the only housing unit at WCI which has not had any of these improvements to date. A study was completed in 2011. Capital budget request 2: $4,090,000 Status: Rejected From the request: The DOC requests enumeration of $4,090,000 GFSB for the completion of water system upgrades for the Central Generating Plant located at Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI). ... This project would complete the water system upgrades for the Central Generating Plant, which provides water service to the Central Generating Plant, Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI), Dodge Correctional Institution (DCI) and Burke Correctional Center in Waupun. The project would provide for the planning, design, and construction of: • Study for site selection of the new treatment system and well location. • New Well No. 6 and Pump House. This well would ideally be located at the northwest portion of the DCI grounds at least 1,500 feet from Well No. 5. It would be finished in the lower sandstone aquifer and be approximately 650 feet deep. • New water treatment facility. Construct a new treatment system, ideally located near Well No. 6. • Abandonment of Well No. 5. This includes removal of the pump, installation of tremie pipe, placement of pea gravel and grout. • Construct backwash system at the new treatment facility located at new Well No. 6. It is assumed the conveyance piping would be a gravity sewer discharging to the Waupun sanitary sewer system north of the DCI grounds, near Beaver Dam and Lincoln Streets. Rock excavation would be required as part of this installation. Pipe size is expected to be 36-inches. • New remote pump house for Well No. 3 and No. 4. Connect Well No. 3 and No. 4 to the water treatment facility. Rock excavation will be required for this installation. ... Well No. 5 and the second storage tank were constructed in 2013 to meet current and future water system demands. Both are located on the west side of the DCI grounds. Well No. 5 is an 800 foot deep sandstone aquifer well cased and grouted to a depth of 200 feet. Test pumping indicates the well will be able to provide a capacity of at least 800 gpm. This well has not yet been placed in service due to water quality issues. There is no pumping station facility to deliver water to the distribution system. ... Section NR 809 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code sets forth regulations and standards for combined levels of radium 226 (Ra-226) and radium 228 (Ra-228) in drinking water. ... Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element found in some waters obtained from the deep sandstone aquifer which underlies much of the southern half of Wisconsin. Samples from Well No. 3 and 4 indicate radium levels in these wells are considerably below the standard. Well No. 5, however, has not been put into service due to high radium levels in the samples. After rehabilitation water samples from Well No. 5 still indicate water quality concerns causing Well No. 5 to remain out of operation. The City of Waupun has recently agreed to provide the CGP with water in the event of an emergency at the site. In 2015, Well No. 3, 4 and 5 were rehabilitated by chemical treatment and mechanical agitation. Portions of these wells were also partially permanently abandoned. The purpose of this work was to attempt to improve water quality by reducing concentrations of combined radium, iron, and manganese. An additional purpose was to improve water quality by reducing and controlling microbiological activity and biofilms in these wells. Iron levels in Well Nos. 3 and 5 also remain high. Mechanical and chemical rehabilitation of Well No. 3 was completed in April of 2015. ... The bottom 100 feet of the well was permanently abandoned. Water samples taken for Well No. 3 show improved water quality levels. ... Rehabilitation of Well No. 5 was completed in February of 2015. This rehab consisted of mechanical agitation and chemical treatment similar to what was done for Wells 3 and 4. The bottom 320 feet of this well was also permanently abandoned. After rehabilitation water samples from Well No. 5 still indicate water quality concerns causing Well No. 5 to remain out of operation. The City of Waupun has recently agreed to provide the CGP with water in the event of an emergency at the site. Institution: Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution, Plymouth Classification: Medium security Capital budget request: $33,627,000 Status: Rejected From the request: This project would provide for the planning, design, and construction of two new housing units with 200 beds each to replace six original housing units each containing 65 beds built in 1962 and expanded in the 1970’s. This will be the first of three sequential projects to replace all of the original and temporary general population housing units at Kettle Moraine Correlational (sic) Institution (KMCI). ... The construction of KMCI began in 1960 and the facility was opened in 1962 as a Boys School with a rated capacity of 287. Over the years, the Kettle Moraine Boys School has gradually transformed into the KMCI to reflect the growth and change in DOC and now houses over 1,000 inmates. The 12 original cottages are over 50 years old and were originally constructed to house 25 youthful offenders. Ten of the units were expanded in the 1970s to increase the occupancy to 35 adult inmates. There was another increase to the number of inmates housed in them. Additional changes to the housing units and cottages have increased capacity to 50 inmates in the cottages and 65 inmates in housing units. Age, overcrowding and the conversion from juvenile to adult inmates has taken its toll on the facilities. KMCI continues to face significant repair and maintenance issues.   Maintenance on the existing buildings has been deferred to the point that significant and costly repairs are needed to continue operations. The original construction of these units does not meet current building codes. The air handling and ventilation systems are out of date and in need of serious cleaning and service. The construction of the air handling system has made it virtually impossible for this to happen without having dramatic reconstruction by expansion of the service area which is located in the attic of each unit. All of the doors and locks are obsolete and parts and supplies are next to impossible to find. Door replacement required custom construction because they are non-standard size. The windows in the units are not detention grade and are not energy efficient. This leads to frequent breakage and a problem maintaining inmate cell room temperatures. The hot water supply is also fed from the same central housing unit and the same problems of distribution occur. The units at the end of the complex frequently get cold water. ... some of the key issues, such as staffing efficiency and occupant safety, remain unresolved. The hydronic heating system is controlled in one central housing unit which supplies three satellite units. This type of system is very costly to maintain and should problems occur it affects 260 inmates well-being. The hot water supply is also fed from the same central housing unit and the same problems of distribution occur. The units at the end of the complex frequently get cold water. This set up is also costly and leads to inmate climate issues related to hot water. Electrical components are now obsolete and in need of replacement. There has been some asbestos containing materials (ACM) abated over the years but the floors have a significant amount of ACM. The tiles are giving way and a large abatement project is in need to deal with floor replacement should the units not be replaced.
Estimates for renovation of existing buildings have been done, but some of the key issues, such as staffing efficiency and occupant safety, remain unresolved. The life cycle of the current structures is coming to an end as the cost of maintaining them is becoming prohibitive. By Gretchen Schuldt How long can the Department of Corrections ignore the increasing numbers of prison inmates with some sort of disability? At least another two years, according to the state budget. DOC asked for $42.6 million to build a facility for those inmates. The State Legislature and the governor authorized $0. It will study the issue instead. This is part 2 of our look at state prisons, how crowded they are, and what the Department of Corrections said during budget preparation it needed to fix and maintain them. Part 1 is here. This primer does not really address the consequences of the crowding and physical shortcomings of the institutions – the impacts on inmates and staff. But we sure hope you will keep them in mind as you consider the price of mass incarceration. Institution: Dodge Correctional Institution, Waupun Classification: Maximum security Capital budget request: None  Dodge Correctional Institution  Source: DOC Offenders Under Control on Nov. 17, 2017 Institution: Jackson Correctional Institution, Black River Falls Classification: Medium security Capital budget request: None  Jackson Correctional Institution  Source: DOC Offenders Under Control on Nov. 17, 2017 Institution: Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center, Milwaukee Classification: Minimum Security Capital budget request: None  Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center  Source: DOC Offenders Under Control on Nov. 17, 2017 Institution: Proposed assisted living facility Classification: Medium security Capital budget request: $42,662,000 Status: Rejected From the request: This project would build a new facility to help the DOC address the growing number of inmates – regardless of age – that require living or program accommodations, increased access to medical resources due to a lack of mobility, diminishing cognitive ability, poor physical health, or other impairments that prevent an inmate from being fully independent. Additionally, specialized services are becoming necessary for some inmates due to complications associated with aging such as severe mobility issues, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and other medical conditions. ... In the DOC system inmates requiring assisted living are currently housed throughout the entire Division of Adult Institutions (DAI) system of institutions. Several institutions such as the Dodge Correctional Institution infirmary or Oshkosh Correctional Institution have a relatively high concentration of these inmates. Total inmate population within DAI has remained relatively constant over the past 10 years, while the number of inmates over the age of 45 has been steadily increasing. The number of inmates 45 years of age or older was 3,421 in July 2003 and 5,906 in July 2012. This is a 73% increase over a 10 year period or an average annual increase of over 6%. As of March 2013, inmates 40 years or older with sentences of 20 or more years to release was 1,374. This older population will likely be spending their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s in a DOC institution. ... The number of inmates 45 years of age or older was 3,421 in July 2003 and 5,906 in July 2012. This is a 73% increase over a 10 year period or an average annual increase of over 6%. In March 2008, a DAI Site ADA Accessibility Survey indicated there were 286 inmates requiring the use of a wheelchair. Of the 286 wheelchair users, 166 were permanent users and 32 were in oversized wheelchairs. These inmates will require ADA cells, showers, bathrooms, access to electrical outlets to run medical appliances, etc. Other inmates are not necessarily wheelchair bound but have other disease such as cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. As these inmates progress in their disease, they typically need an increased level of medical attention or other accommodations. For example, an inmate with short-term memory loss can still be held in a GP cell, but may need constant reminders to take their on-person medication, have a hard time remembering which cell is theirs, requires a lower bunk and may need a bathroom located nearby. These inmates often develop other comorbidities such as hypertension, liver disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, and/or significant cardiovascular conditions.  Source: DOC Without an assisted living facility the number of inmates requiring HSU and infirmary care will continue to increase. HSUs and infirmary units do not have the staff, space or equipment to deal with these patients on a regular basis. HSUs and infirmaries will need to be expanded to include:
• Access to “24/7” on-site medical resources. • Medication distribution and monitoring needs. • Access to on-site specialized therapies such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, and recreational therapy. • Specialized transport services by DOC that accommodate disability or medical needs. • Effective access to local, off-site emergency responders and ambulance services. In addition to these improvements, housing improvements will also need to include the following: • Activities for daily living. • Access to cells meeting the minimum ADA width door frames and turning radius for wheelchairs. • Access to toilets/showers/bathing (currently for prisons ADA requires 5% or one accessible stall, whichever is greater. For long term care facilities, ADA requires at least 50% of accessible toilets). • Single bed cells versus bunk beds. • Bed rails. • Electrical outlets and shelving to accommodate required medical equipment. |
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The Wisconsin Justice Initiative Inc. does not endorse candidates for political office. The Wisconsin Justice Initiative Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization.
The Wisconsin Justice Initiative Inc. does not endorse candidates for political office. The Wisconsin Justice Initiative Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization.