Thursday, September 02, 2010

Wisconsin To Be Nicer to Inmates

Let’s just hope that this doesn’t lead to a dead guard. 

To settle lawsuits filed by inmates, state officials have agreed to make wide-ranging changes to the segregation unit at the maximum-security Waupun Correctional Institution to make it easier for them to sleep, exercise and communicate.

New windows, magazines and even hacky sacks are on the way for the 180 inmates who are housed there, according to settlements signed last month and obtained by The Associated Press. The state is also paying more than $113,000 to two inmates and their attorneys.

The inmates had argued the conditions in the cells were so isolating and harsh they violated their constitutional right to be free of cruel and unusual punishment and made their mental illnesses worse.

(5) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1719 hrs
Law + Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. Those hacky sacks can be brutal weapons.

    Posted by James Wigderson on September 02, 2010 at 1946 hrs


  2. I’m going to call this crap without even bothering to look into it more.  Yep I’m just biased against criminals.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 2015 hrs


  3. I don’t think the government should pay for these perks like magazine’s and hacky sacks, but I don’t see why prisoners shouldn’t be allowed to have some non-dangerous items to keep them from going crazy.  Let their family or friends send them some items to pass the time.  Or give them ways to earn the items.

    I would think that prison’s would actually want these items to be able to use them to get the prisoners to act correctly.  Violate the rules and your privileges get takes away.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 2256 hrs


  4. The reason these inmates are in the seg unit at Waupun is because they are not nice guys.  They cannot even handle being in general population, so these are some nasty ass people.  They lost their rights because they were bad and they can regain their rights if they are good. 
    The things they are asking for can be used as weapons.  The magazines have staples, the hackey sack can hide bodily fluids.
    If they have mental illness, treat it but it is not cured by giving them things to play with.
    Just another case of a feel good AG and governor who value inmate rights over rights of guards and other prisoners.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 2304 hrs


  5. I might add, these are not the worst of the worst.  The worst are housed at Mendota and they had things a lot worse than this when I worked there.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 02, 2010 at 2307 hrs


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