'It's been breaking everybody's heart': Stanley prison has been limiting inmate movement all year

MADISON – Another Wisconsin prison has been limiting the movement of prisoners within its walls for nearly a year, due to a severe staffing shortage and a lack of correctional officers.

Stanley Correctional Institution has been under a "state of modified movement" since the beginning of the year, according to Rep. Karen Hurd, R-Falls Creek.

"They're under a state of modified movement, because we have a lack of staff," said Hurd, who represents the prison as a part of her district. "Stanley has been one of the correctional institutes that has been so short-staffed for a very long time."

Under the modified movement status, those incarcerated at the facility have to eat their meals in their cells and have less access to things such as the library, outdoor recreation and even visits from friends and family.

"They're not completely shut down, but it's been limited and it's breaking my heart," she said. "It's been breaking everybody's heart."

The Department of Corrections spokesman Kevin Hoffman said in an email the agency doesn't consider Stanley's situation as modified movement in the same way as other facilities because those incarcerated still have some access to recreation, visits and vocational programs.

Stanley Correctional Institution, located in Chippewa County, is a medium-security prison for adult males. It was constructed in 1998 by a private company, but the state purchased the prison in 2001.

The prison has a capacity of 1,500 people but is housing 1,575 according to DOC data from October 13.

Hurd said that the lockdown conditions should soon ease at Stanley, though. The Legislature recently approved a pay raise from about $20 an hour to $33 an hour, which will go into effect next week for correctional officers. That raise will make it easier to hire and retain a solid staff.

Hoffman said 15 new officers will graduate next month, and another nine will begin academy training in the next cohort.

"We do anticipate that this influx of staffing support will allow the facility to continue lifting restrictions," he said. "It’s difficult to determine exactly when that might take place."

But still, most of those incarcerated at the facility will have spent the majority of the year restricted by the limited staffing, something legislators are aware of and want to fix.

"They're spending too much time in their cells, I've been there, I've seen it," Hurd said. "I know it. That's why we are pressing so hard."

Sen. Jesse James, R-Altoona, said it's critical to get the facility out of the limited movement state and allow those incarcerated at Stanley access to the library, the outdoors and the jobs they work while in the facility.

"It definitely impedes their mental health, their emotional health," said James, whose district includes the prison.

Green Bay and Waupun prisons also under 'modified movement'

In addition to Stanley, Green Bay Correctional Institution and Waupun Correctional Institution are also limiting movement, recreation and other activities within the facilities. Waupun has been under lockdown for over six months, while it's been closer to a year for Green Bay.

Two inmate deaths have occurred at Waupun during the period of restricted movement, one this month that is under investigation and another in July that was ruled a suicide.

Earlier this fall, DOC Secretary Kevin Carr denied that the prisons were under a "lock down," and instead said called it modified movement, under questioning from state senators. He said the situations were due to a lack of staffing at the facilities, as well as disruptive behavior by those incarcerated.

But for advocates, a lack of staffing shouldn't be taken out on those housed in the facilities.

Dant'e Cottingham, the interim associate director of Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing, or EXPO, said that any sort of limited movement within a facility is at the expense of inmates.

"The bottom line is these men and women that are incarcerated that deserve to be treated humanely. Period," he said. "And there are very simple ways of doing that."

Laura Schulte can be reached at [email protected] and on X at @SchulteLaura.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Stanley prison has been under 'state of modified movement' all year