What happened at Waupun: A timeline of prisoner deaths, investigations, lawsuits and resignations
Drake BentleyOn March 30, 2023, Waupun Mayor Rohn W. Bishop told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Waupun Correctional Institution was under lockdown.
Since then, prisoners, their families, advocates and public officials have been forced to reckon with difficult conditions at the aging prison that has long been understaffed and overcrowded.
The situation at Waupun has led to a larger debate about causes of, and potential solutions for, deeply rooted problems within Wisconsin's prison system.
The state has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation and has the third highest Black-white imprisonment disparity in the country.
Over the past year, four prisoners have died at Waupun, prison workers have been criminally charged, officials have resigned and a series of investigations have been launched at the local, state and federal levels.
Here’s a timeline of key events:
March 29, 2023: Waupun Correctional Institution enters lockdown
The phase restricts movement throughout the prison, resulting in prisoners locked in their cells typically 24 hours a day, are not permitted visitors, and are banned from gathering in communal spaces, like recreation time, educational opportunities, and religious services.
The department says some of the prison’s population were “breaking rules that are in place to assure everyone’s safety.”
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle cite ongoing staffing shortages at Waupun and across the prison system as the reason for many problems inside the facilities that can result in a lockdown. Waupun is particularly understaffed.
Spring 2023: Prisoners tell reporters about poor conditions inside facilities
Prisoners began to tell reporters of the conditions inside the prison, from plumbing problems to a lack of air conditioning and poor food options.
Prisoners say they are only allowed one shower a week and are sharing cells. Others report they can not visit the law library, which is closed for a short period of time.
June 29, 2023: Dean Hoffmann dies at Waupun prison
Dean Hoffmann, 60, dies by suicide in solitary confinement.
Hoffmann has a long-documented history of bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts.
It is later learned through records that in the two and a half months leading to his suicide prison staff failed to provide his bipolar and antidepressant medications as prescribed more than three-quarters of the time.
October 2, 2023: Tyshun Lemons dies of a drug overdose
Tyshun Lemons, 30, dies of an accidental overdose of acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl while in general population.
Lemons' family members say they have concerns about the medical examiner's ruling and how the drugs found their way into the maximum-security prison. Lemons’ brother, Levi Lord, says his brother also had mental health conditions.
October 26, 2023: Waupun prisoners file class action lawsuit
Lonnie Story, a Florida-based attorney licensed in Wisconsin, files a class action lawsuit on behalf of nearly a dozen prisoners at Waupun.
The suit alleges prison officials have not adequately provided proper health care to prisoners amid the ongoing lockdown, including a waiting list for dental services stretching out 18 months.
Story also ends up representing three families of prisoners who died in custody.
October 30, 2023: Cameron Williams dies of a rare stroke
Cameron Williams, 24, dies of a rare stroke in solitary confinement. Prisoners who were in the same unit at Williams tell the Journal Sentinel that in the days leading up to his death he begged for help from staff and was ignored as his health quickly deteriorated.
Court records later reveal that medical passes and hourly rounds were skipped or barely meeting procedural requirements, no reports were ever written up, and no medical assistance was provided.
Nov. 1, 2023: Gov. Tony Evers says he has not visited any of the state's troubled prisons recently
Gov. Tony Evers tells reporters he hasn't recently visited the state prisons that have been the site of at least three deaths in four months. He says he is in "constant contact" with prison staff and Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr visits Waupun daily.
November 14, 2023: Gov. Tony Evers, DOC Secretary Kevin Carr announce plans to loosen prison restrictions
Evers and Carr announce plans to loosen the restrictions at Waupun, as well as Green Bay Correctional Institution.
The plans include opening access to more services in the prisons, reducing the prisoner population at Waupun, updating solitary confinement policies, and continuing to recruit more staff with the enticement of higher pay.
Soon, prisoners are allowed to attend recreation, classes and religious services again, but many advocates say too many restrictions on movement remain.
February 7, 2024: Hoffmann family files civil rights lawsuit against DOC
The family of Dean Hoffmann files a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, alleging Hoffmann’s civil rights were violated in the months leading up to his death. Hoffmann's daughter, Megan Kolb, says it is "time to hold somebody accountable."
February 22, 2024: Donald Maier dies of probable dehydration and malnutrition at Waupun
Donald Maier, 62, died of probable dehydration and malnutrition in solitary confinement. The death comes after prison staff began intermittently shutting off the water to prevent him from flooding his cell, court records show.
The manner of his death is later ruled a homicide.
March 1, 2024: DOC Secretary announces his departure
Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr announces he is leaving his position as the agency's leader.
“The past five years have been quite memorable, and I could not be prouder to have worked with some of the finest public servants in the country who are doing amazing work every day under very difficult conditions,” Carr says in a statement.
Carr was among the first secretaries Evers named to his cabinet.
March 7, 2024: Federal investigation into smuggling allegations at Waupun becomes public
After a DOC sweep of housing units at Waupun turned up contraband, state officials notify federal authorities.
As a result, the U.S. Department of Justice launches an investigation into an alleged conspiracy within Waupun Correctional Institution to bring in cell phones, illegal drugs and other contraband.
Britt Cudaback, a spokeswoman for Evers, tells reporters in early March an initial DOC probe "revealed allegations of potential employee involvement in those illegal activities, including information suggesting financial crimes may have occurred."
April 18, 2024: DOC says prisoner workers have resigned or been fired as a result of federal probe
The DOC tells the Journal Sentinel five employees have resigned or were fired since the U.S. Department of Justice began its investigation into the smuggling allegations. Another six employees remain on administrative leave.
May 10, 2024: Cameron Williams' family files lawsuit
The mother of Cameron Williams files a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
Raven Anderson believes her son suffered cruel and unusual punishment as his physical and mental health quickly deteriorated.
“He did have a mental illness and I don’t think that they took the time to recognize that,” Anderson tells the Journal Sentinel.
May 24, 2024: New DOC secretary takes over
The deputy secretary of the Department of Corrections, Jared Hoy, is promoted to head of the department by Evers.
“There is no more noble calling than maintaining community safety by caring for justice-involved individuals. It is why I have devoted my entire career to public service as a corrections practitioner," Hoy says in a statement.
May 28, 2024: Waupun warden tells staff he is leaving his post
Waupun Warden Randall Hepp announces his resignation in an email to prison staff.
June 5, 2024: Dodge County sheriff announces charges against warden, other prison staff
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt announces criminal charges against nine prison employees, including Hepp, in two of the in-custody deaths — Williams and Maier. No criminal charges are issued for the other two deaths — Hoffmann and Lemons.
"'Persons in our care' is not a phrase I would use in Waupun Correctional Institution," Schmidt said, referring to the DOC's language for prisoners.
"These people were not cared for," he said. "They’re people, and they were not cared for."
The Sheriff's Office later confirms the death investigations remain open.
Three employees are charged in connection with Williams' death.
Gwendolyn Peachey Vick, 50, a registered nurse, and Tanner Leopold, 27, a correctional sergeant, each face one count of abuse of residents of penal facilities. Brandon James Fisher, 29, a correctional lieutenant, faces two counts of abuse of residents of penal facilities in Williams' death.
Fisher also is charged in connection to Maier’s death with two counts of abuse of residents of penal facilities. Hepp, the former warden, is charged with one count of felony misconduct in public office in that case.
The other employees charged with misconduct or abuse of resident in a penal facility in connection with Maier's death are correctional officers Jamall Rabb Russell, 39, and Sarah Anne Margaret Ransbottom, 35; correctional sergeants Jeramie Heyward Chalker, 41, and Alexander John Hollfelder, 31; and registered nurse, Jessica Ann Hosfelt, 47.
June 6, 2024: Lawmakers call for more oversight of prisons, closing facilities in Waupun and Green Bay
Republican state lawmakers signal interest in requiring more oversight of the state's prisons and call for closing the facilities in Waupun and Green Bay, something advocates have long pushed for.
The Joint Finance Committee co-chairs, Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, blame Evers, a Democrat, and Carr for the state of prisons. Evers' administration has said in the past that the governor inherited many problems in the prison system from the prior Republican administration.
Democratic lawmakers from Milwaukee, Rep. Darrin Madison and Rep. Ryan Clancy, also call for action on the prison system and closing the two troubled facilities.
June 7, 2024: Tyshun Lemons' family files lawsuit
The sister of Tyshun Lemons, who died of an accidental overdose, files a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, alleging that Lemons’ constitutional rights were violated.
The lawsuit claims that DOC officials "willfully and deliberately ignored their duties," and that their "deliberate indifference to the conditions" at Waupun resulted in Lemons being able to obtain the drugs and overdose on them.
Drake Bentley can be reached at [email protected].