Current:Home > StocksWisconsin prison warden quits amid lockdown, federal smuggling investigation-LoTradeCoin
Wisconsin prison warden quits amid lockdown, federal smuggling investigation
View Date:2024-12-23 20:01:03
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The warden at a troubled Wisconsin prison has resigned amid lockdown conditions, an ongoing federal investigation and multiple inmate deaths.
Waupun Correctional Institution Warden Randall Hepp announced his resignation on Tuesday, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The newspaper obtained an email Hepp sent to prison staff in which he wrote his decision wasn’t easy but he believes it will serve the institution well. He added that the prison has moved closer toward improving safety.
No one immediately responded to an email The Associated Press sent to state Department of Corrections media officials and Gov. Tony Evers spokesperson, Britt Cudaback on Sunday morning seeking comment.
Brad Mlodzik, who previously worked as deputy warden at Waupun, will take over as warden there on June 30, the State Journal reported.
A chronic lack of guards forced the state Department of Corrections to institute a lockdown at Waupun as well as at prisons in Green Bay and Stanley. Waupun inmates filed a federal lawsuit in October alleging the conditions amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. That lawsuit is still pending. Stanley resumed normal operations in late November. Movement restrictions have eased at Waupun and Green Bay, but some remain in place.
Cudaback, Evers’ spokesperson, said in March that federal authorities are investigating an apparent smuggling ring involving Waupun Correctional employees. She said then that multiple sweeps of the prison revealed people were obtaining prohibited items such as cellphones and illegal drugs. At least 11 prison employees have been suspended since May 2023 in connection with the probe.
Four inmates have died at Waupun since June 2023. One killed himself in solitary confinement, one died of a fentanyl overdose and another died of a stroke. The fourth inmate was found dead at the facility in February. His death remains under investigation. The daughter of the inmate who killed himself in solitary confinement has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Waupun officials failed to provide him with adequate mental health care and medication.
Hepp took over as warden at Waupun in May 2020. He began his career in the state prison system in 1984 as a guard at Dodge Correctional Institution.
veryGood! (48558)
Related
- Horoscopes Today, November 12, 2024
- Why Jon Bon Jovi Says Millie Bobby Brown Fits Perfectly With Their Family
- Britney Spears settles legal battle with father Jamie Spears after conservatorship: Reports
- Panthers claim Battle of Florida, oust Lightning from NHL playoffs in first round
- Trump ally Steve Bannon blasts ‘lawfare’ as he faces New York trial after federal prison stint
- Teen charged with murder of beloved California middle-school teacher
- Indonesia’s Mount Ruang erupts again, spewing ash and peppering villages with debris
- Are you balding? A dermatologist explains some preventative measures.
- Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira set to be sentenced, could get up to 17 years in prison
- GOP leaders still can’t overcome the Kansas governor’s veto to enact big tax cuts
Ranking
- UConn, Kansas State among five women's college basketball games to watch this weekend
- AP WAS THERE: Mexico’s 1938 seizure of the oil sector from US companies
- Duo charged with murder in killings of couple whose remains were found scattered on Long Island
- AP WAS THERE: Mexico’s 1938 seizure of the oil sector from US companies
- Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
- Pope Francis visits Venice in first trip outside of Rome in seven months
- GaxEx: Transforming from Inception to Over Ten Million Users, Witnessing the Zenith of the Global Cryptocurrency Market
- How countries are using innovative technology to preserve ocean life
Recommendation
-
Utah AD Mark Harlan fined $40,000 for ripping referees and the Big 12 after loss to BYU
-
Book excerpt: The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahota
-
Remote Lake Superior island wolf numbers are stable but moose population declining, researchers say
-
Chelsea Handler Reacts to Rumors She's Joining Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
-
Caitlin Clark shanks tee shot, nearly hits fans at LPGA's The Annika pro-am
-
GaxEx Exchange Breaks into the Global Top Ten, Illuminating the Crypto World this Winter: Exclusive Celebration for Crypto Enthusiasts Begins
-
Growing wildfire risk leaves states grappling with how to keep property insurers from fleeing
-
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao faces sentencing; US seeks 3-year term for allowing money laundering