The attorney for one of the nine state prison employees arrested in connection with inmate deaths at Waupun Correctional Institution is defending his client to the news media.
Four inmates at the Waupun Correctional Institution in Dodge County have died over the past year. The Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt has been leading one of several probes into the deaths. Schmidt announced his results Wednesday, June 5, 2024, mentioning that the Wisconsin Department of Corrections refers to inmates as—"persons within our care."
He adds, "This phrase bothers me at the Waupun Correctional Institution. It is not a phrase that I would use. These people were not cared for and they are people. They were not cared for and we are going to hold those responsible accountable.”
Schmidt says criminal charges are not warranted in two of the cases. But he says the deaths of 24 year-old inmate Cameron Williams and 62 year-old inmate Donald Maier have triggered arrests and charges of misconduct in public office, or abuse of residents of a penal facility — felonies that could mean prison time for those found guilty. The nine defendants are a mix of Waupun correctional officers, nurses and former warden Randall Hepp, who recently resigned.
As one example of what Schmidt calls a "blatant disregard of inmate safety," he alleges that a prison nurse and guard supervisors failed to check on Cameron Williams’ medical needs shortly before he died.
“Evidence shows the decedent was dead in his cell at least twelve hours before he was discovered on the morning of October 30, 2023. I’ll say that again. He was dead in his cell for over 12 hours before they located him the next morning," Schmidt says.
Schmidt says former Waupun warden Hepp was charged because state law says the warden is responsible for safety and security of the prisons.
The nine prison employees had their initial court appearance at the Dodge County Courthouse at the same time Schimdt’ held his news conference in a separate building.
Afterwards, attorney Mark Hazelbaker, who represents defendant Gwendolyn Vick, the nurse in the Williams case, met with WUWM and WISN-TV and read from a prepared statement.
“Gwendolyn Vick, and everyone involved, are saddened by the loss of human life. Ms. Vick was not responsible for anyone’s death. She asks everyone to keep an open mind about the allegations against her. Remember, she is innocent until proven guilty," Hazelbaker says.
Hazelbaker says in court, he also fought against the release of the defendants’ home addresses. He says his client should not have to fear any harassment.
“Gwendolyn Vick is a health care provider who worked for many many years in the prison system to help inmates. She didn’t want anyone to die. She didn’t want anyone to be sick. But, it isn’t simple to provide health care in the prisons. There are malingering issues. There are faking issues. Believe me, the last thing she wanted was for this young man to suffer," Hazelbaker says.
Sheriff Schmidt says none of those charged intended for the inmates to die.
The defendants will be back in court this summer.
The legal case comes amid an ongoing staffing shortage at some of the prisons, and debate over what to do with the Corrections Department's two oldest facilities at Waupun and Green Bay. Schmidt says it’s time to consider updating state prison buildings.
“One new prison could replace two prisons or two renovated prisons would be much better than what we have now. It will save lives. It will provide for more humane treatment of inmates. It will provide a need for less correctional officers," Schmidt says.
The Evers Administration has focused on other measures, such as increased recruitment of prison staff and higher pay.
Milwaukee State Representatives Ryan Clancy and Darrin Madison (D) want the Waupun and Green Bay prisons closed as well as the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF) in downtown. But the lawmakers want the legislature to pass a package of bills they introduced last fall to improve conditions of confinement, reduce the number of people incarcerated and set up an ombudsperson — independent of the state corrections department.
