Gov. Evers Directs DOC to Continue Ongoing Internal Investigations at WCI, Report Findings to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office for Further Investigation and Potential Charges

Governor further directs DOC to release internal investigations findings publicly

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers on June 5th, announced the Evers Administration is requesting the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office does not close its investigation into Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI) and instead is requesting the investigation remain open as the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ (DOC) internal investigation and federal law enforcement investigations continue.

The governor is further directing the DOC to continue its ongoing, internal investigations into deaths of individuals in the department’s care until the investigation has been thoroughly completed, and the governor is further directing the DOC to release the results of its internal investigation to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office upon conclusion for further investigation and potential additional charges.

Finally, the governor also announced he is directing the department to release the findings of its internal investigation in its entirety to the extent state and federal laws allow, and at such time that doing so will not impede or jeopardize any ongoing law enforcement investigations.

Gov. Evers released the following statement regarding the charges filed in Dodge County on June 5, 2024:

“I appreciate the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office for their work in this investigation. Last June, the Department of Corrections and I asked federal law enforcement agencies to help investigate criminal activity at Waupun, and that investigation remains ongoing. It has been my expectation from the beginning that the DOC and its staff would fully comply with law enforcement and internal investigations, and that continues to be my expectation.

“Each and every person who’s failed to do their job to the high level that we expect or treat people in our care with the dignity, humanity, and respect they deserve should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law—it’s that simple. There must be accountability and justice. And I believe accountability and justice insist that both internal and law enforcement investigations must continue until they have been exhaustively and thoroughly completed.

“On June 5th, I am directing the DOC to continue their ongoing, internal investigations through to completion, notwithstanding the Dodge County Sheriff indicating his investigation is completed based on charges filed in Dodge County today. I am further directing the department to provide the results of its investigations to the Dodge County Sherriff’s Office for further investigation and potential charges, as is appropriate.

“I am also directing the department to release the results of their internal investigations in a report that shall be released publicly, and in its entirety, to the fullest extent state and federal laws allow, and at such time it will not impede upon or jeopardize any ongoing law enforcement investigations.

“We have an obligation to make sure that people in our care, officers and staff, and our communities are safe. And the criminal justice system must hold every wrongdoer to account.”

In June 2023, Gov. Evers and the DOC asked federal law enforcement authorities to conduct an in-depth investigation into potential criminal activities at WCI involving a conspiracy to bring contraband, including cell phones, illegal drugs, and other prohibited items, into the institution. The federal law enforcement investigation remains ongoing.

The allegations followed the DOC conducting multiple housing sweeps of WCI during which they identified individuals in the institution were managing to obtain contraband. An initial, internal investigation conducted by the DOC revealed allegations of potential employee involvement in those illegal activities, including information suggesting financial crimes may have occurred.

Within days of that initial investigation concluding and revealing the potential involvement of employees, and given the multi-jurisdictional nature of the allegations, the Evers Administration asked federal law enforcement to investigate those claims and bring immediate accountability for any individuals participating in circumventing state and federal laws.