MADISON, Wis. — A fifth inmate died at a maximum security Wisconsin prison as the former warden who was there when four others died was scheduled to make a court appearance Tuesday after being charged in June with misconduct in public office.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the Monday death of 57-year-old Waupun Correctional Institution inmate Christopher McDonald. The sheriff’s department said the death, reported by the prison on Monday morning, appears to have been suicide.
“The initial investigation also shows that at the time of discovery, staff responded rapidly and appropriately, providing medical aid in an effort to save the inmate’s life,” the sheriff’s department said in its release. Sheriff Dale Schmidt said Tuesday he had no additional information to share.
Online court records indicate McDonald was sentenced in Waukesha County in 1993 to 999 years in prison on one count of being a party to first-degree intentional homicide, 999 years on a second count of being a party to first-degree intentional homicide and 16 years on one count of being a party to robbery as a habitual criminal. The records do not indicate if McDonald was ordered to serve his sentences consecutively or simultaneously.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Kevin Hoffman said no other information about the latest inmate death, which remains under investigation, was available.
Former warden Randall Hepp was scheduled to be arraigned in Dodge County Circuit Court on one felony charge of misconduct in office following an earlier investigation by the sheriff’s department.
Hepp and eight members of his staff were charged with various felonies in June, including misconduct and inmate abuse, in connection with two inmates’ deaths at the prison since last year. One of the inmates died of a stroke and the other died of dehydration, according to court documents.
Hepp retired in June. No one has been charged in connection to the other two inmate deaths within the past year at Waupun.
Monday’s death came as lawmakers are stepping up pressure on the state prison system. Families of inmates and former prison workers previously urged lawmakers at a July hearing to fix what they said were systemic problems in Wisconsin’s prison system.
The state Senate’s judiciary committee convened a hearing Tuesday near the state’s youth prison in Lincoln County to examine how counselor Corey Proulx died during a fight at the facility in June.
According to court documents, Proulx hit his head on concrete pavement after a 16-year-old boy imprisoned at the facility punched him. The boy and another 17-year-old teen have been charged in connection with the fight.
The juvenile prison has been under intense scrutiny for years amid abuse allegations and lawsuits by people incarcerated there. In 2017, the state paid more than $25 million to settle a lawsuit and a federal judge appointed a monitor to oversee conditions at the facility. The monitor, who continues to report on conditions at the prison, has said the situation is improving.
Department of Corrections Secretary Jared Hoy, wearing a black-and-silver lapel ribbon emblazoned with Proulx’s name, told the committee that he couldn’t say much about Proulx’s death in light of the charges against the teens and an ongoing internal investigation.
Hoy did say he has been visiting the prison weekly since Proulx’s death.
The staff has adopted a gentler approach with inmates and their relationships with them have been improving, he said, but the youth have been traumatized and staff can face “high-stress and unpredictable situations” when they’re dealing with them.
State Sen. Mary Felzkowski, a Republican whose district includes the youth prison, would have none of it. She said staffers feel they’re not allowed to defend themselves and fear retribution if they complain.
“I want to stick to the true reason we’re here. We have a young man the system failed. Now he’s killed a man and he will probably never see the light of day again,” she said. “His life is over. And we have a dead youth counselor. We need to find out what went wrong. Because we have two lives ended.”
The former warden of a Wisconsin prison is facing a misconduct charge following the death of a fifth inmate under his watch. This troubling development has raised serious concerns about the treatment of prisoners in the state’s correctional facilities and has sparked calls for greater oversight and accountability within the prison system.
The former warden, whose name has not been released to the public, is accused of failing to properly supervise and care for inmates at the prison where he was in charge. The misconduct charge stems from an investigation into the death of the fifth inmate, who reportedly died as a result of neglect and mistreatment while in custody.
This latest incident is just one in a series of troubling events that have occurred at Wisconsin prisons in recent years. In 2016, a scathing report by the Department of Justice found widespread abuse and neglect of inmates at the state’s youth prison, leading to the resignation of several top officials.
The death of five inmates under the former warden’s watch has raised questions about the culture of violence and neglect within Wisconsin’s correctional facilities. Advocates for prison reform have called for increased transparency and accountability within the state’s prison system, as well as greater oversight of prison staff to ensure the safety and well-being of inmates.
In response to these concerns, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections has launched an internal investigation into the allegations of misconduct against the former warden. The department has also pledged to implement reforms to improve conditions for inmates and prevent future incidents of abuse and neglect.
The case of the former warden facing misconduct charges highlights the need for greater scrutiny and accountability within the criminal justice system. It serves as a reminder that those entrusted with the care and supervision of inmates must uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct.
As the investigation into this troubling case continues, it is imperative that steps are taken to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future. The safety and well-being of inmates must be a top priority for all those involved in the criminal justice system, and those who fail to meet this standard must be held accountable for their actions.
