Nine people who worked for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, including the former warden of Waupun Correctional Institution, have been charged in the deaths of two prisoners.
The stunning announcement this week from authorities in Dodge County, where the Waupun prison is located, came after an investigation by the Sheriff's Office into the deaths of Dean Hoffmann, Tyshun Lemons,Cameron Williams, andDonald W. Maier.
The men died at the prison between June 2023 and February 2024. Charges have been filed in connection with the deaths of Williams and Maier.
Here's what we do and don't know about those who died, those who were charged and the ongoing investigations at Waupun.
Who died at Waupun Correctional Institution and under what circ*mstances?
Hoffmann, 60, died by suicide in solitary confinement on June 29, 2023.
He had a documented history of bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts. In the two and a half months leading to his suicide prison staff failed to provide his bipolar and antidepressant medications as prescribed more than three-quarters of the time while in custody at Waupun, records show.
Lemons, 30, died of an accidental overdose of acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl on Oct. 2, 2023. Despite the presence of illegal drugs in the prison, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said the investigation showed "no concerns of staff misconduct."
Williams, 24, died of a rare stroke on Oct. 30, 2023. In the weeks leading up to his death, Williams was begging for help as his health quickly deteriorated, according to interviews the Journal Sentinel had with prisoners in his solitary confinement unit.
No medical assistance was provided, reports were never issued, and medical passes and hourly rounds were skipped or barely meeting procedural requirements, according to court records.
Maier, 62, died of probable dehydration and malnutrition on Feb. 22 after prison staff began intermittently shutting off the water to prevent him from flooding his cell. The manner of his death was ruled a homicide.
Staff also did not provide him with medication and meals, a criminal complaint says. Seven people, including the former warden, were charged in his death.
Why was former Waupun warden Randall Hepp charged?
Randall Hepp, the former warden of Waupun prison, faces one count of felony misconduct in public office.
Court records note that Hepp did not oversee his staff to make sure they were following directions, "which led to the demise" of the Maier.
Prison staff were ill-trained when it came to policies and procedures around missed meals, water restrictions, medication refusals, round checks, among other things, the complaint alleged.
Hepp had announced departure from the prison's top spot as warden shortly before the charges were filed. The state's Department of Corrections has not responded to questions clarifying the terms of his exit.
Who else was charged in the prisoner deaths at Waupun?
In the case of Maier's death, six other employees face charges:
- Jamall Rabb Russell, 39, a correctional officer, was charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities and misconduct in public office.
- Sarah Anne Margaret Ransbottom, 35, a correctional officer, was charged with misconduct in public office.
- Jeramie Heyward Chalker, 41, a correctional sergeant, was charged with misconduct in public office.
- Alexander John Hollfelder, 31, a correctional sergeant, was charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities.
- Brandon James Fisher, 29, a correctional lieutenant, was charged with two counts of abuse of residents of penal facilities.
- Jessica Ann Hosfelt, 47, a registered nurse, was charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities.
Three employees were charged in the death of Williams:
- Gwendolyn Peachey Vick, 50, a registered nurse, faces one count of abuse of residents of penal facilities.
- Tanner Leopold, 27, a correctional sergeant, faces one count of abuse of residents of penal facilities.
- Fisher, the correctional lieutenant who was also charged in the Maier case, faces two counts of abuse of residents of penal facilities in Williams' death.
What is the maximum penalty if they are convicted?
The charges of abuse of residents of penal facilities and misconduct in public office are class I felonies, which carry a maximum potential sentence of up to 18 months in prison and two years of extended supervision.
Why wasn’t a homicide charge issued in Maier's dehydration death?
Although Maier's death was deemed a homicide in forensic terms by the medical examiner, Dodge County District Attorney Andrea Will said a criminal charge of homicide required additional evidence.
"In order to charge a homicide against any individual I have to show that one individual or several individuals were responsible for this, and I don't think that it was any one individual that was responsible," she said during a news conference.
"I don't think that there was any intent in these cases," Will said. "I think this is purely one of neglect."
Has anything like this happened before?
Yes, but at the local level.
In 2016, Terrill Thomas died of dehydration after guards shut off his water in his segregation cell at the Milwaukee County Jail.
Two years later, the former commander of the jail and two other staff memberswerecharged with misconduct in office, obstruction and neglecting an inmate. All threewere convicted.
In late 2022, Miami-basedArmor Correctional Health ServicesInc. was also found criminally guilty in connection with Thomas' death.
Are those charged in the Waupun deaths still employed at the Department of Corrections?
As of Wednesday, the nine people charged in the Waupun deaths are either no longer employed by the Department of Corrections or are on unpaid administrative leave, according to a statement from the DOC.
The agency did not respond to questions about which of the nine were on leave.
"Prior to these charges, warden excluded, all of these individuals were either under ongoing DOC internalinvestigation or had been placed on administrative leave or terminated based upon DOC’s internalinvestigations," according to the agency's statement.
Are other DOC staff at Waupun under investigation?
Yes.
Internal investigations at Waupun began in March 2023 — three months before the first death occurred — and more than 20 people remained under investigation as of Wednesday, according to the department.
Nine other people, who were not criminally charged, were no longer employed at DOC. At least eight employees at Waupun remained on administrative leave, the agency said.
"We anticipate additional individuals will be placed on administrative leave, may be terminated,and potentially referred for criminal charges pending the conclusion of DOC’s internal or other lawenforcement investigations, which remain ongoing," according to the DOC.
What is the status of the DOC investigation into the deaths?
The internal investigations remain ongoing, according to the agency's statement on Wednesday. The department said it had not yet received all the necessary reports from local law enforcement or the medical examiner.
Are federal authorities investigating any potential misconduct at Waupun?
The U.S. Department of Justice is currently carrying out an investigation into a suspected drug and cellphone smugglingring by staff at the prison. It is not tied to the death investigations.
So far, the federal probe has resulted in 11 state employees being placed on administrative leave, withfive later resigning or being fired.
Asked about a potential federal civil rights investigation into the prison, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Wisconsin said he could not confirm any ongoing federal investigations, citing agency policy.
Is Waupun still under lockdown?
Waupun Correctional Institution went into lockdown in March of last year.
Last November, Gov. Tony Evers and former DOC Secretary Kevin Carr announced plans to lift restrictions at Waupun and Green Bay, including opening access to more services in the prisons.
As of May 13, Waupun was still under "modified movement," meaning prisoners were not always in their cells but were still getting less than the required four hours per week of recreation and did not have in-person visitation.
Schmidt, the sheriff, said he believed the lockdowns had nothing to do with any of the deaths.
"In fact, the lockdowns should have made it better for the accountability and ensuring the safety of this facility," he said. "Any narrative out there that the lockdowns are the cause of these deaths, I think is absolutely bogus, and I did not see anything in these investigations that links the two at all."
Could Waupun Correctional Institution, which was built in the 1800s, close?
Over the years, politicians and advocates have repeatedly called for closing the state's aging prisons in Waupun and Green Bay.
In the wake of the charges, state lawmakers have again brought up the idea of closing the prison in Waupun and building a new facility. But such a move is complicated and costly. The state cannot close the prison without having a plan for where to house the people currently incarcerated there.
The effort to close a youth prison north of Wausau that was the subject of a federal civil rights lawsuit and open new facilities has taken more than six years.
What has been the political response to the criminal charges?
Evers has requested the sheriff's investigation remain open as DOC internal and federal law enforcement investigations continue.
The sheriff, however, said he had closed his agency's investigations into the four deaths.
"There must be accountability and justice," Evers said in a news release.
Evers said he has directed DOC to provide a full, thorough report of the internal investigations to the public.
Republican lawmakers have heavily criticized Evers and his administration, saying the criminal charges reflect a "lack of leadership" and failure "to protect the basic safety and constitutional rights of inmates in our state." Some are considering drafting legislation for more oversight of the prison system.
Democratic lawmakers have cited Act 10, which limited collective bargaining rights for public employees including prison employees, as a factor in the staffing shortages. Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, also blamed "draconian sentencing laws and revocation policies" for overcrowding at the prisons.
Evers' administration has also said the governorinherited many problemsin the prison system from theprior Republican administration, including asevere staffing shortageand aging facilities.
Schmidt, a Republican, also offered pointed criticism of Carr, the former DOC secretary, during the news conference announcing the charges. Carr did not take personal responsibility for the shortcomings the investigation uncovered, Schmidt said, and announced his departure as secretary three days after meeting with the sheriff.
However, the sheriff also indicated he had a productive conversation with Jared Hoy, the new DOC secretary, last week.
Kelli Arseneau of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and Laura Schulte of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 orvswales@gannett.com. Follow her on X@Vanessa_Swales.
