State Senator Dave Hansen,(D) Green Bay, is calling for an independent review of the Green Bay Correctional Institution. The Senator has sent a letter to Corrections Secretary, Jon Litscher requesting the move.
This comes after three incidents of violence against corrections staff within the last year. "Seeing what has been happening at CBCI, I am alarmed at what appears to be an increasingly dangerous environment for officers and staff," Hansen said in a news release.
After receiving the letter, Secretary Litscher called Senator Hansen’s office to say the department would look into his concerns.
The Department of Corrections is considering some changes in light of recent attacks at the Green Bay Correctional Institution. Just last week Senator Dave Hansen of Green Bay voiced some of his concerns and sent the department some of his recommendations to improve prison safety. Today we are learning that the Senator heard back from the Department of Corrections and views that move, as opening up the conversation regarding change.
Just last week Senator Hansen asked Department of Corrections Secretary Jon Litscher to consider an independent review of the state's prisons.
He wanted the department to consider bringing in a third party to get a realistic view of some of the dangers within the system. He also asked that they reexamine their radio systems which according to Hansen, weren't working properly earlier this month when a guard was attacked. Perhaps above all though, Senator Hansen says he wants guards back at the decision making table so they can voice concerns to seniority once again. That would be a change in Wisconsin prisons being that guards and superior’s lines of communication are said to have diminished significantly since 2011 when Act 10 went through. Today Senator Hansen says those lines of communication are one step closer to opening back up.
"I don't know how many times we sent letters to secretaries, or chair people, committees and never get a response. Never! He responded immediately. So I think he understands we have a difficult situation that has to be dealt with. Maybe we disagree a little on how we'll get there but I think he has his heart in the right place,” said Senator Dave Hansen of Green Bay.
The Department of Corrections seems to be considering some of Senator Hansen’s requests right now. For guards that is likely a big deal. We just learned today that Officer John McKee, who was attacked in the prison kitchen earlier this month, had as much as five gallons of boiling water tossed on him by an inmate. Today he's dealing with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 40 percent of his body. Some guards telling us that the event may have been preventable if guards and superiors were able to communicate more efficiently with one another.
