By Gretchen Schuldt

​The decline in the state's population slowed markedly in the past two weeks as the state started accepting new inmates from counties, a practice it suspended March 23 in an effort to block the importation of the coronavirus into state prisons, according to state figures.

The state started accepting inmates again on June 1.

Because of the crowded conditions in prisons, they are considered prime sites for COVID-19 spread.

The Wisconsin prison population declined by just 66 inmates during the week ending June 5 and 106 during the week ending Friday, according to the Department of Corrections. The last time the prison population decline was anywhere near that small was during the week ending March 27, when it dropped by 109 people.

​The overall prison population fell from 23,256 on March 6, the week before Gov. Tony Evers declared a coronavirus-related state of emergency, to 21,548 Friday, a decline of 7%.

David Liners, state director of WISDOM, a justice organization, said Evers is not doing enough to reduce the risk to incarcerated people.

"The governor once claimed he wanted to cut the prison population in half," Liners said. "At the moment when it is most urgent to use the powers unique to his office, he has failed by refusing to act."

WISDOM is organizing a "Drive to Decarcerate" caravan to Madison on Thursday.  People interested in participating can learn more and sign up here.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases reported in state prisons continues to increase, as DOC introduces, belatedly, wider testing. There were 213 people incarcerated at Waupun Correctional Institution who tested positive, a 92 percent positive rate, according to DOC figures. Other positive tests were were recorded at Columbia Correctional Institution (2), Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center (18), Marshall E. Sherrer Correctional Center (5), Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (1), and Oshkosh Correctional Institution (8). Thus far, DOC has conducted 4,770 tests at its adult institutions, for a testing rate of about 22%. The results of 1,981 tests are pending. 

Incarcerated people continue to express apprehension and anger about the virus and their treatment in prison. Inmate testimonials are below. They have been edited for length and clarity and to protect the writers' identities

I put in a hsu (Health Services Unit) form saying I wasn't feeling good and I was woke up the next morning at 1 a.m. and they gave me a mask and brought me and my celly to hsu where I was given a flu test which was negative then they gave me the coronavirus test and told me we were being put on quarantine until the results came back....They said we were being the first people going to segregation on quarantine because the hsu unit was full so they said they cleared a wing out in set for us.

So me and my celly were forced to walk ourselves to the hole at 3 a.m. then when I got there they made me strip search and wear restraints just like a seg inmate. I tried to refuse telling them if they are not subject to do this over on the hsu unit then we shouldn't have to do it either and I told them that putting on them restraints against my will when I did nothing wrong gives me flashbacks ...I told them I wasn't trying to go through that again. 

I told them...I need to talk to a psychologist and a white shirt I was told I would see both but the whole time I was in seg I saw neither. I was told if I didn't put the restraints on I would receive a major ticket so I had no choice....I was treated worse than a seg inmate. A few hours after I was there the Sgt came to my door and told me...I had to wear seg oranges and I had to give him my keep-on-person meds which was the only property I had. So I tried to refuse until I was again threatened with a major ticket. I gave up my meds and my greens....I was told we would eventually get our property like the guys on the hsu unit get it they even get there electronics but they did the opposite and took what little property I had. I couldn't even get a book! 

(The man said he developed a migraine.)

It's hard to be in prison at any time and harder still when the  small niceties – a phone call, a turn outdoors – are taken away during a pandemic battle.

The testimonials below have been edited for length, clarity and to protect the writers' identities.
***

I want to bring awareness to the new phone restrictions....This is for my floor and my floor only. Now, on A3 my current housing unit is being restricted to one 20-minute phone slot after 4 p.m. No other housing unit has to abide by this rule. The floor as a whole is being punished due to a few select inmates with no regard and no respect to others. There are more appropriate ways to handle this situation. Like consequences for the individuals that are abusing the phones.

We already lost our visitation with our families and friends with one substitute video visitation
or other forms of communication. Many of us housed here are Mothers and remaining a constant in our children's life is very important. I have two children ages 4 and 9. They are both in 2 different households. I can't call them until after 6 p.m. due to their fathers work schedule.

With this new rule? I am forced to pick and choose each night which one I can call and say goodnight to! That is absurd. I should be able to call both of my children to say goodnight just like anyone else in this institution. We have a memo posted from less than a month ago stating how they are looking into other ways of communication due to the visits being cancelled at this time. This proves to be the complete opposite of that!

***
I received a minor conduct report for disobeying orders, due to another inmate permitting me to share a phone call conversation with a mutual friend, and I was given a disposition of 40 days loss of phone. I was never given a verbal warning, a written warning, a reprimand or a previous minor conduct report for disobeying orders related to phone use.

Nearly five months ago, (the institution) created an unreasonable pre-COVID-19 pandemic policy, which was originally meant to allow everyone access to the phone by limiting phone use to five calls a day per inmate due to some inmates monopolizing the phone. The policy never addressed the reality of an inmate permitting another inmate to use his phone time, especially during this National State of Emergency. (The institution) never attempted to relax on this policy due to COVID-19, but instead chose to continue this unjust policy in limiting our access to our families, friends and loved ones.

By Gretchen Schuldt
​
This post was updated on May 20 to reflect additional positive coronavirus tests reported by the Department of Corrections.

The number of people incarcerated in state prisons testing positive for the coronavirus jumped 70% this week, from 20 last week to 34, according to Department of Corrections figures.

Meanwhile, the state's prison population still is declining during the coronavirus crisis, but at a much slower pace than it did earlier in the pandemic, DOC figures show.

The biggest virus outbreak is at the Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center in Milwaukee, where 18 people have tested positive as of Wednesday, up from 13 on Monday. Five tested  positive as of Wednesday at the Marshall E. Sherrer Correctional Center, also in Milwaukee. That number is up one since Monday. Another 116 residents of those two facilities have tested negative.

The DOC last week tested all 125 or so of the people held at those facilities at the time. All of the testing has been completed and the results received. 

Two people incarcerated at Columbia Correctional Institution have tested positive, as have eight at Oshkosh Correctional Institution and one at Waupun Correctional Institution, according to the figures.

Some 1,047 people are in quarantine, meaning they were potentially or directly exposed to the virus, according to the DOC.

During the week that ended Friday, May 15, the number of occupied prison beds fell  by 128, just 52% of the 243-inmate decline recorded the week ending April 10, which saw the biggest drop recorded thus far during the pandemic. 

The number of occupied beds in the prison system has dropped from 23,273 on Feb. 28 to 22,008 on Friday, a decline of 1,265, or 5.4%. The prison system is still about 25% over capacity.

The number of filled inmate beds (as opposed to community corrections beds) at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility rose for the sixth week in a row, and stood at 463 as of Friday, up six from the week before and 59 from its lowest pandemic population of 404 on April 3.

The MSDF inmate population still is down 24%, or 144 people, from its pre-crisis level of 607 on March 6. 

The number of people held for alleged probation and parole (including extended supervision) also has dropped significantly, from 905 on Feb. 28 to 315 on Friday, a decline of 65%. 

The first chart below shows the decline in prison population for each week beginning Feb. 28. The other charts show state prison populations over time.

DOC stopped accepting most new inmates on March 23, shifting to countiesThe number of people incarcerated in state prisons testing positive for the coronavirus jumped 35% Monday, from 20 to 27, according to Department of Corrections figures.

Meanwhile, the state's prison population still is declining during the coronavirus crisis, but at a much slower pace than it did earlier in the pandemic, DOC figures show.

The biggest virus outbreak is at the Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center in Milwaukee, where 13 people have tested positive.  Four have tested positive at the Marshall E. Sherrer Correctional Center, also in Milwaukee.

The DOC tested all 125 or so of the people held there last week. Most of those tests are pending, according to DOC figures. 

Two people incarcerated at Columbia Correctional Institution have tested positive, as have eight at Oshkosh Correctional Institution, according to the figures.

Some 956 people are in quarantine, meaning they were potentially or directly exposed to the virus, according to the DOC.

During the week that ended Friday, May 15, the number of occupied prison beds fell  by 128, just 52% of the 243-inmate decline recorded the week ending April 10, which saw the biggest drop recorded thus far during the pandemic. 

The number of occupied beds in the prison system has dropped from 23,273 on Feb. 28 to 22,008 on Friday, a decline of 1,265, or 5.4%. The prison system is still about 25% over capacity.

The number of filled inmate beds (as opposed to community corrections beds) at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility rose for the sixth week in a row, and stood at 463 as of Friday, up six from the week before and 59 from its lowest pandemic population of 404 on April 3.

The MSDF inmate population still is down 24%, or 144 people, from its pre-crisis level of 607 on March 6. 

The number of people held for alleged probation and parole (including extended supervision) also has dropped significantly, from 905 on Feb. 28 to  315 on Friday, a decline of 65%. 

DOC stopped accepting most new inmates on March 23, shifting to counties the responsibility of housing sentenced inmates. 

The first chart below shows the change in prison population for each week beginning Feb. 28. The other charts show state prison populations over time.

The Department of Corrections announced Friday that it would test all inmates and staff at the Felmers O. Chaney  Correctional Center, with a population of 86 inmates, and the Marshall E. Sherrer Correctional Center, which houses 43 incarcerated people.

Both facilities are in Milwaukee.

When those additional 129 folks are tested, the state will have tested a whopping 1.3% of state prison inmates. Thus far, the DOC has tested about 0.7% of the 22,136 imprisoned people. 

Six of seven people previously tested at the Chaney site tested positive for the coronavirus;  all four inmates tested at the Sherrer Center tested positive, according to DOC information. 

The testimonials below are from inmates at different state prisons. They were edited for length and clarity.

​Well, since Tuesday 5/5/2020 I am now in COVID isolation; yet, ironically, housing us in about the most heavily trafficked area in the [north] cell hall: the showers (and we are not allowed to shower for at least 2 weeks).

It appears that everyone that attended library on Monday afternoon 5/4/2020 is down here with me, less a few that were taken to the hole for the something they said (trivial comments). The irony here is that I was allowed to move about and came into contact with a number of prisoners and staff within the almost 24-hour span between Mon. and Tue.'s quarantine, none of whom are down here. Some staff and inmates were not even wearing masks or PPE. 

On a moment's notice they required me to carry all my property down two flights of stairs unassisted, literally speed walking with two 30-40# bags, a dozen trips. I have tested recently to be malnourished and have serious chronic medical conditions. I wasn't even allowed to eat my lunch, i.e. unless I wished to forfeit my property or go to the hole (which is one and the same).

The isolation cell they put me in was filthy, containing the leftover "mattress," or the old uncovered, no-stuffing, ripped, urea-smelling sack of plastic the last COVID patient laid upon.  In fact, one of these guys has already been down here for quarantine before(!) and back again.  Then, having lost my single-cell, I will be coerced into moving back into a double-cell which they know I will refuse for medical & safety concerns, and will proceed to be thrown in the hole, incidentally forfeiting my recent approval for a medium.

So, allow me to intrigue you with this premise: Guards and inmates alike are free to wear masks/PPE at their discretion, yet even though I don masks/PPE and observe proper protocol, I am put in isolation and deprived law library/court access....

Keep in mind they aren't actually testing us, only screening and monitoring, and they are simply going to throw possible asymptomatic carriers right back into the population and law library, over and over again. And what about staff, some of whom invariably associate with these "Liberate Wisconsin" protests?

***

I have just over 9 months left. They have the COVID cases on one unit at this point. It seems to me that it is staying on that one unit, thank God. But we have guards who work in that unit that then go to another unit later that week. They don't seem to realize that its that carelessness that spreads this disease. We have maybe one or two guards who actually follow the mask ideas and they seem to be getting power hungry now that they have to keep us from being in contact with each other.

***

As of today's date, we have no cases of COVID-19 here. This institution takes the rules of social distancing very seriously. Starting on March 26 we were placed on a modified lockdown. Then a week later we started a full-blown rule change for everything... Starting with day-room time. Where as we used to get almost 13 hours out every day, we now see only 4.1 hours because our day room is broken into 3 groups of out time..(group 1, 2, and 3). Each group consists of anywhere from 30-40 inmates and the times are 1.5 hours for two of the periods and a final 50 minute period to finish off the night.

Inmates are only allowed to sit two to a table, maintain six feet apart, we eat in our cells, we lost the gym for rec, weight room, and library, because it's too close in quarters. But we still have the walking track where we are allowed to walk, jog or run every other day, but only with our group, and no more than 40.

Updated 5/5/2020

​By Gretchen Schuldt

​The regular inmate population at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility rose 7% in two weeks, reversing several weeks of decline, according to the most recent prison population figures from the State Department of Corrections.

MSDF has the largest number of staff – six – testing positive for the corona -virus among state correctional institutions, according to DOC figures. No person incarcerated at MSDF has tested positive for coronavirus, according to DOC.

Overall, the number of people incarcerated at MSDF for reasons other than probation or parole violations / holds rose from 417 on April 17 to 446 on Friday, May 1, according to the figures.

A DOC spokeswoman, asked why the population increased, said that correctional facility populations tend to fluctuate.

Despite the increase over the last two weeks, the number of people in MSDF incarcerated for other than probation and parole issues has declined significantly since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis in March. There were 577 people held on Feb. 28, so the 446 held Friday represents a decline of 131 people, or 23%.

The number of people on probation or parole who were incarcerated at MSDF also rose last week, from 214 to 218, an increase of 2%. Overall, since Feb. 28, the number of people housed at MSDF for probation- and parole-related reasons dropped from 371 to 218, a 41% decline. 

The decline in the number of filled prison beds continues to be very slow. Since Gov. Evers declared a public health emergency on March 12, the prison population has declined by an average of 139 people per week. Much of that decline can be attributed to DOC's decision to stop accepting new inmates from counties. ​

By Gretchen Schuldt

​Admissions into state prisons all but stopped after the Department of Corrections announced last month that it would not accept new inmates from counties, while the numbers of incarcerated released rose and fell, but did not show any dramatic swings, DOC figures show.

 
​The numbers also make clear that DOC has made little effort thus far to release additional inmates from prison during the coronavirus crisis, despite wide acknowledgement that jails and prison are breeding grounds for the virus and COVID-19, the potentially fatal disease it causes.

Evers announced on March 22 that state prisons would not accept new inmates, shifting to counties the burden of holding those not suitable for release. 

He wasn't kidding. The number of inmates fell dramatically after the announcement, from 151 the week beginning March 15, to six the week beginning March 22.

Releases, meanwhile, peaked the week of March 29, when 294 people walked out of prison. A week earlier, however, just 169 inmates were released, the lowest total in the weeks considered. 

Those incarcerated are frustrated with their conditions.

The testimonials below have been edited for length, clarity and to protect the writers' identities.
​
I know everyone in the community is dealing with this virus, and I don't feel like we are more important than any one of you by any means. But we are in the care of the system, we are at their mercy....I have no way of social distancing myself with 37 bunk beds crammed into one room 3 feet apart, with everyone sharing the same sinks, toilets, etc. If/when this virus reaches us, how will they take care of us? There are approx. 140 people between the 2 barracks here. We are sons, husbands, brothers, uncles, fathers (etc), and we MATTER!  Please do what you can to bring our plight to someone who will do something about this situation BEFORE we become UNECCESSARY statistics! Take care of yourself and each other out there.

​***

We are on a lockdown from our day rooms, visiting, and the barber shop. Otherwise I'm not sure I'd say we are on a lockdown. The gym crowded, the library crowded, outside rec super crowded, and workers...packed close together serving our food – no masks for them. We are social distancing at the dinner tables; only two allowed at a table while eating. Two at a table outside. But big groups walking together. Only seen maintenance workers and a few others like laundry get masks. But there's others working, no masks being given to them for their safety. Governor Tony Evers ordered stay-home-safe bill with social distancing. This don't help an over-populated and over-crowded prison system. The coronavirus is here....Now the question is what will be done to stop the spreading of coronavirus? Do inmates and prison systems have to obey the Governor's stay-at-home-safe bill to stop spreading of coronavirus by social distancing? Why are some prison systems down playing the dangers of the coronavirus by letting inmates pack into a gym, library, in...with no masks serving food? Why is not everyone given cloth masks...to slow down spreading of coronavirus? Everyone in China is wearing some kinda mask on their face even if its cloth masks. What ever to stop this from spreading. 

***

So, while most of the staff here are decent, caring people, and do have to contend with some less than pleasant situations from time to time, the info. presented to you on the (DOC) website is a tad misleading....There is no social distancing being practiced "during dining" here. We sit four to a table in a day room that doubles as a dining room with 90-100 guys all eating at the same time. Myself and some others try to keep a cushion of 6 feet while in the chow line and otherwise, but...fill in the blank. 

Furthermore, when you read that part about PPE's being made available to staff, you may get the impression that the staff are actually wearing these, but you'd be wrong. I have seen a couple of the teachers wearing masks, but that's it. The officers and other staff I see do not.  I'm not sure what is promoting this "wait 'till it's here" mentality, but it just doesn't seem right. The ABC news this morning quoted someone @ (another prison) as saying they "don't know" how the three inmates who tested positive there became infected. You don't have to be a reporter to ascertain that it was most-likely transmitted by a staff member.  ​

By Gretchen Schuldt

​As the Department of Corrections continues to delay meaningful action to reduce prison populations in the state, incarcerated people are speaking out about conditions inside. 

The charts below show how little changed between the end of February, when the threat posed by the coronavirus became clear, and Friday, April 17. Below each chart is one or more  testimonials from people living behind bars. The testimonials have been edited for length, clarity and to protect the writers' identities.

There has been time to act. Gov. Tony Evers declared a public health emergency on March 12; he announced on March 22 that the State Department of Corrections would not accept inmate transfers from counties.

Last week, the DOC announced it would distribute "four (4) disposable ear loop masks through canteen for all persons in our care in the near future."

There have been inmates in quarantine in HSU (health services unit) & also seg. w/no property they are not allow to use the phone or even send out their mail. So their family do not know what is going on here. Their rights are being violated. They are being punished for this COVID-19 they might not even have it. They should be allowed their property. I ask the Sgt why these inmates can't be on the north side of seg. so they can have their property. He told me he does not know. The people on the street have rights in their house to watch TV & have their property when they are quarantined, but we are in prison we are not allowed. If they quarantine me they will not be happy with me I will be complaining everyday if I'm in seg or HSU with out my property. 

I attempted to protect myself by wearing a mask provided by HSU staff. I was disrespected and aggressively confronted by (a sergeant) and staff ...requesting I throw away the mask or give it to him personally. I then asked him why I have to give up my (P.P.E) without reason and asked why when it's stated on news and recommendations from (Govt.) to wear these masks and practice preventive measures. I am aware that medical staff and guards here a primary source of transmission of (Covid-19) since they are in contact with the general public and have no physical proof or quarantined measures before entering the prison population daily .

We have no way of effectively distancing ourselves from them or anyone else who may be harmful to our health and safety, and we need to know what's being done on this matter. I wish not to be penalized and punished for exercising my right to survive. I was told I could create panic, as if the...individuals who already have it from staff and the threats of further lockdown doesn't create enough panic.

They had a big meeting with all the inmates with cpap (continuous positive airway pressure) machines. They gave us the option of giving up our cpap machines or be moved to the treatment center....They told us that we are considered "high risk" to contract the virus due to our cpap machines so if we wanted to keep our machines we would have to relocate to the treatment center. A lot of inmates gave up their machines to avoid being on the same unit as the coronavirus-quarantined inmates. What I don't understand is if we are "high risk" why would the administration put us on the same floor as the people with coronavirus? This policy just doesn't make any sense. We are being forced to either suffer sleep apnea and possibly die in our sleep just to avoid being near coronavirus-infected inmates or keep our machines and live within feet of infected inmates. What kind of a choice is that? I would think you would house the "high risk" inmates as far away from quarantined inmates as possible...Governor Evers really needs to act before it's too late....I chose to keep my cpap machine so I feel like I'm sitting on death row just waiting for this coronavirus to hit (here). Thank you for your time.

By Shannon Ross

I'll get right to the meat: Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Corrections have far more than the two options they mentioned for releasing people.

They mentioned in a statement only Certain Earned Release and Special Action Parole, but they can also employ Community Residential Confinement (DOC Administrative Code 327.04, which allows them to let parole-eligible people finish their time at home, on community custody), Emergency removal  (325.01), which allows release during an emergency, and leave (326) (which allows them to grant furloughs to "nonviolent" individuals for extended periods to facilitate family reintegration and stability).

They can talk to judges around the state about granting more sentence adjustments (two guys here with nonviolent crimes and histories were just denied, but get released within four months anyways). They can parole more people – many have somewhere to go and are set for release in the next year or two anyways, so what will it matter if they go home now after having served 20-30 years in prison?

Most of all, Evers can commute the sentences of everyone with less than a year left to serve on their sentences (or less than six months or four months or whatever he wants). One of my cellmates is doing 5 months on misdemeanors right now. Does it make ANY DAMN SENSE to not commute his sentence amid this pandemic?

The Certain Earned Release option he mentioned only applies to a smidgen of a crumb of a percentage of incarcerated people (I'd be shocked if it was more than .01%). Everyone else they mentioned releasing in press releases the last two weeks was from jails and Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility. They have effectively done nothing to address the potential danger in prisons.

​Before I address Evers' and the DOC's repeated puffery about what they are doing to keep us "persons in their care" safe, let me applaud them on the one thing they have done right: the FAQ and the transparent, up-to-date COVID status pages on the DOC website. The public and our loved ones are able to see in real time (supposedly) how many staff and incarcerated people have been tested, how many tested positive and at what facilities, and how many are awaiting results. DOC and Evers could have done their typical suppression of info under the comically North Korea-esque guise of security reasons, but they have endeavored for sunshine instead. Thank you. But it pretty much ends there.

They keep saying they have a plan, but judging from my experience and the hundreds of emails from incarcerated people statewide that I get in my role as manager of the most-widely read anti-mass incarceration publication in the state (thecommunitywis.wixsite.com/home), they seem like an infant learning to walk. Yes, they are providing two free phone calls a week (which, by the way, with the usurious phone rates they charge, is like stealing someone's car then claiming to be a good guy because you let them use it for free two times a week).

But phone access has been curtailed at several facilities, especially where I am, and the calls commonly disconnect midway through (so much for a free 15-minute call when it hangs up on you within five minutes) and hardly anyone who was getting visits had problems with calling their loved ones in the first place (if you'll pony up $20-$50 for gas and snacks to visit someone in prison, you'll provide money so they can call you).