- Sixth fatality since June 2023 includes suicides and medical neglect cases
- Former warden and 8 staff face criminal charges for inmate deaths
- 1850s-era facility faces class-action suit and bipartisan closure demands
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections confirmed the death of 23-year-old Damien Evans at Waupun Correctional Institution this week, marking the sixth inmate fatality in 10 months. While officials have not disclosed the circumstances, this incident follows a pattern of systemic failures at the state’s oldest prison. Evans had been serving a nine-year sentence for armed robbery and bail jumping since 2019.
Recent investigations reveal disturbing parallels with earlier cases. Two inmates died by suicide in 2023, while others perished from preventable causes including dehydration and untreated strokes. Criminal complaints allege staff failed to conduct required welfare checks for 12+ hours before discovering Cameron Williams’ body last October. Donald Maier’s February 2024 death from malnutrition occurred after eight days without critical medications.
Wisconsin’s aging prison infrastructure compounds these crises. Built during the Civil War era, Waupun lacks modern surveillance systems and medical facilities. A 2023 budget analysis showed 43% of state correctional facilities exceed 50 years old, creating blind spots that enable misconduct. Similar challenges plagued Michigan’s Jackson Prison before its 2021 closure following a tuberculosis outbreak linked to poor ventilation.
The facility now faces multiple investigations including a federal probe into alleged contraband smuggling by staff. Nearly a dozen employees remain suspended pending outcomes. Meanwhile, a class-action lawsuit by inmates claims chronic understaffing has led to 72-hour lockdowns and delayed emergency responses.
Governor Tony Evers’ $500 million reform proposal aims to convert Waupun into a medium-security vocational center. However, legislative gridlock persists as rural lawmakers resist job losses in prison towns. Corrections experts warn that without urgent upgrades, Wisconsin risks becoming the next Alabama – where a 2022 DOJ report found 55% of inmate deaths involved constitutional violations.