Today the Governor Walker is responding to concerns by some of a lack of funding for more staff at state prisons. This announcement coming on the heels of several prisoner assaults on staff at the Green Bay Correctional Institution over the past year and an inmate death just last week.
Bills passed by Governor Walker's administration since 2011 have cut into the funding of Wisconsin's prisons and at the same time prison populations have been increasing. But the big question is, are those monetary cuts making prisons across the state more dangerous? Senator Dave Hansen of Green Bay says they might be. He reflected on the issue and said because of staff shortages many employees at state prisons are expected to work 16 hour shifts or more. Making overtime at the high stress, high danger position, just part of the job.
But today Governor Walker said it's not a funding problem but rather an issue with safety precautions that should be met.
"When people are dealing with folks, particularly at facilities like Green bay and Waupun and others that are classified with the worst offenders, we've got to make sure there's ways to protect. Not only correctional officers but even other inmates and visitors to make sure everyone is safe," says Governor Walker.
An inmate at the Green bay Correctional Institution assaulted three staff members just last week. That man was serving a 20-year sentence for a first degree homicide conviction. Sources within the prison have told us it's the same inmate, Francisco Flores-Rocha, who was responsible for those attacks that later died at the prison earlier this week.
