After her daughter died in the Milwaukee County Jail, Kerrie Hirte fights for answers

Ten months after her daughter’s death, Kerrie Hirte is still searching for answers and accountability from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

Six people have died in the Milwaukee County Jail since June 2022. One of these people was Cilivea Thyrion, Hirte’s daughter, who died from choking on an adult diaper in December 2022.

Since Thyrion’s death, Hirte has worked tirelessly to keep asking questions of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the Milwaukee County Jail. She often commutes from her home in Green Bay to attend County Board of Supervisor meetings to testify about her daughter’s death and conditions at the Milwaukee County Jail.

Hirte said she’s frustrated with nonanswers and nonaction from both the Sheriff’s Office and the County Board of Supervisors. She said that both the Sheriff’s Office and the County Board of Supervisors are not addressing issues at the Jail with a sense of urgency that should come with people dying at a rate of one person every 77 days since June 2022.

“These are people’s lives, these are families. People have illnesses in there and are dying because they aren’t getting help. So for them to just be like ‘Oh this is OK, we’re OK with this.’ It’s not OK,” she says.

Lake Effect Special 10/02/23: Deaths & dire conditions at two Wisconsin correctional facilities

Sam Woods

Lake Effect's Sam Woods & Joy Powers explore conditions at the Milwaukee County Jail after several deaths there and Waupun Correctional Institute, which has been on lockdown for months.

Listen • 51:34

Hirte remembers her daughter as smart, goofy, and loving to sing. She enjoyed Packers games, amusement parks, and taught Hirte how to work her smartphone.

“She just enjoyed life, she liked to be a free spirit,” Hirte remembers.

As she fights for answers about her daughter’s death, Hirte is mindful about caring for herself. Through her job as a beautician, Hirte enjoys helping people take care of herself, and she credits her faith, family, and Cilivea’s memory for keeping her engaged with life.

“It’s hard to get out some days, but I know Cilivea wouldn’t want me to just curl up in a ball in my room,” she says.

Have a loved one being held at a correctional facility in Wisconsin? Were you or someone you know incarcerated? If you'd like to share your experience: comment below, email lakeeffect@uwm.edu or call us at 414-251-8970.