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Waupun-- Workers at Waupun Correctional facility say they are worried about their safety. A couple hundred of the facility's workers protested peacefully outside the prison , raising concerns about their safety. But the Department of Corrections insists prisons across the state remain safe.

Union leaders say increased overtime and lower than normal staff levels are main concerns. The DOC admits overtime is higher than ideal, but that is not the reason for low morale. The DOC issued this statement: "Wisconsin’s adult institutions and centers remain safe and secure. This can be attributed to the fact that our correctional officers are highly trained and have continued to execute their challenging duties in a professional manner despite the myriad of external events and policy changes that have taken place over the last year."

Correctional officers say the warden at Waupun is making rule changes that favor the inmates and hurt the staff. The warden refereed all comments to the DOC. 

 Some workers worry that with a high turnover rate because of retirements due to new collective bargaining laws, workers with less experience are flooding the prison system. "These people have no clue what they are getting into, you talk about a security issue, major major security issue, you are losing all your older people, retirement just up and leaving," said Oshkosh prison worker Dale Pierce. 

These protesters simply want a chance to sit down with prison leaders and talk about the issues. But for now, they'll settle for being seen, if not heard.