WAUPUN – Restrictions on inmates that have been in effect at two Wisconsin prisons since 2023 are being reduced. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections announced that in-person visitation has resumed at Waupun Correctional Institution as of Monday, July 22.
The DOC also announced that normal recreation time for inmates at Green Bay Correctional Institution will return starting on July 28. The restrictions, referred to as “modified movement” by the DOC, have been in effect for over a year due to severe staffing issues and security concerns at both facilities.
“WCI and GBCI continue to make positive changes as the facilities resume normal operations,” said DOC Secretary Jared Hoy. “Experienced staff continue to support newer officers to help operations run smoothly and offer more opportunities to those in our care.”
Visitation at Waupun Correctional Institution will now be available from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on each weekday. In-person visitation at Green Bay Correctional Institution resumed in November 2023.
In Green Bay, the prison began offering at least two 50-minute recreation periods per week with at least one additional recreation period per month starting in late May. Officials plan to resume normal operations as long as weather permits.
Inmates and advocates have been calling for the restrictions to end for months, saying the freedom of inmates is being violated. Waupun inmates filed a federal lawsuit in October alleging that the conditions at the prison amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
The Waupun Correctional Institution is also at the center of an investigation into the deaths of four inmates in the last year. Nine DOC employees have been arrested, including the warden of the facility, and are facing felony charges.
TOP STORIES FROM THE WTMJ NEWSROOM:
- One dead, nine injured in mass shooting at Milwaukee’s Dineen Park
- Head of restaurant association hopes short-term pain from RNC leads to long-term gain
- Wisconsin leaders react to President Biden dropping out of the race for the White House
- Wisconsin Republicans to open new Hispanic outreach center
- Eduardo Galvan to be named interim Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools
LISTEN: Pancake Breakfast Special: WTMJ’s untold stories at the RNC
