'This can't wait': Lawmakers renew calls for prison reform amid Waupun arrests

’This can’t wait’: Lawmakers renew calls for prison reform amid Waupun arrests
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MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- There are renewed calls for action regarding Wisconsin's prison system after charges were brought against employees at the Waupun Correctional Institute following the deaths of two inmates.

It comes after nine people, including the warden at Waupun Correctional Institute, were arrested Wednesday for failing to adequately care for inmates in their custody.

State Rep. Michael Schraa, chairman of the Assembly Corrections Committee, said he wants to use the Legislature's subpoena power to hold public hearings to try and get to the bottom of what happened at Waupun.

"This can't wait," Schraa said. "We need to act immediately."

During a bombshell press conference, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt detailed his investigation which centered around abuse of inmates and misconduct in office. Schmidt said one of the two inmates was dead in his cell for 12 hours -- and before that staff missed a series of medical checks.

Another inmate died of dehydration and malnutrition, according to the investigation. Three of the four deaths are subject to federal lawsuits.

Built in the 1850's, Waupun is the state's oldest prison. For years Republicans have advocated for tearing it down, as well as the prison in Green Bay. However, some Democrats, including Gov. Tony Evers, have been reluctant to that idea because they prefer addressing criminal justice reform more broadly.

"I think it's high time during this investigation we get to the root cause of what the problems are facing our prison system, but not just at Waupun," said Sen. LaTonya Johnson, a Milwaukee Democrat. "We need to be doing checks in every prison system we have."

Refurbishing the deteriorating buildings at Waupun and Green Bay have also been discussed, but that's likely to come with a hefty price tag. Some estimates show it could cost upwards to $1 billion to build a new prison.

"Having toured both those facilities, they are built in a different way that refurbishing them is very difficult and very expensive," said Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, who co-chairs the Joint Finance Committee.

Both prisons have been at the center of controversy, staffing shortages have resulted in lockdowns that have largely restricted inmates' activity.

It's why Schraa wants to take immediate action to ensure protocols are being followed across the Department of Corrections.

"It's too big of a problem that needs to be addressed immediately," Schraa said. "This is something that shouldn't have been allowed to happen."

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