Attorney says more lawsuits coming over deaths at troubled Wisconsin prison
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- An attorney representing the family of a man who died by suicide at a Wisconsin prison says he intends to file two more lawsuits pending the outcome of investigations into the separate deaths at Waupun Correctional Institution.
Lonnie Story is representing the daughter of Dean Hoffman in a lawsuit against state prison officials. Megan Hoffman Kolb filed the federal suit this week in Milwaukee.
It alleges Hoffman died by suicide in June 2023 after not being allowed to see mental health professionals. Hoffman was in prison for a 2018 kidnapping conviction.
Story is also representing more than 1,000 inmates in a class action lawsuit over conditions in the prison dating back to a lockdown implemented last March.
After Hoffman's death, Story said he's been in contact the families of two other men who died in the prison last fall. Dodge County authorities are still investigating their deaths.
"Both of those are going to be wrongful death suits brought against the Department of Corrections, as well," Story told CBS 58 in an interview Thursday.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) in a Jan. 31 release stated it had hired nearly 300 new corrections officers between the November and December academy graduations. That lowered the overall DOC officer and sergeant vacancy rate from 35% in August to 26%.
Story said inmates have informed him conditions have improved in some ways but not others. The DOC release noted the Waupun and Green Bay prison remain in "modified movement," but there are increased activities. Waupun inmates now have recreation time and showers twice a week instead of once.
"Conditions have improved slightly only in three areas; that is recreation, showers and religious services," Story said. "There is still no in-family contact, the [in-person] visitation is still down, and most importantly, and the most egregious part of all this is that the medical, psychological and dental care has not been improved at all."
"There is still an 18-month wait for dental care, and the medications are still not being properly distributed."
Gov. Tony Evers visited Milwaukee Thursday to tour the mental health services areas at Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. Evers spoke to CBS 58 after the stop, and a reporter asked about the current conditions at Waupun.
"We've got a long way to go, and it is based on, frankly, the number of human beings we have working in there," Evers said. "Because if we have small numbers, that makes it much more difficult to allow people to leave their cell."
Evers told reporters Wednesday in Darlington he was open to initiating an independent investigation into the conditions at Waupun. Both then, and again on Thursday, the governor said he was waiting for the results of the investigations into the two most recent deaths.
"Right now, it's in the hands of people in law enforcement," Evers said. "And we need to let that- I absolutely will not interfere with any law enforcement investigation."
Story said he was most concerned about improving medical and psychological care within the prison. He acknowledged additional lawsuits could give the perception he's chasing dollars, but maintained his focus was on speeding up prisoners' access to care before eventually compensating for their loss.
"We can talk about the dollars and cents later," he said. "Right now, we need immediate action."