Prison Warden among nine charged with deaths at Waupun Correctional Institution

The Warden at the Waupun Correctional Institution was one of nine prison staff formally charged Wednesday, June 5, 2024 with crimes related to two of four deaths at the facility in the last year.

In a press conference held yesterday, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt outlined the poor conditions that led to two of the deaths saying one died of a stroke after not being medically evaluated while showing obvious signs of distress. Schmidt said one nurse finally acknowledged the need for the inmate to be checked on, but being at the end of her shift, she passed it on to the incoming nurse who decided the inmate was not in need of evaluation. It was determined the inmate died shortly after this series of events and was laying dead in his cell for 12 hours before being checked on.

Schmidt said the other inmate died of dehydration and malnourishment due to water being turned off in his cell and missing nine of 12 meals meals in a four day period.

The staff charged range from correctional officers to Sergeants and Lieutenants, Medical staff and the Warden.

Schmidt says the other two deaths were not attributed to staff misconduct and no charges have been filed in those deaths.