Politics & Government
In-Person Visits Back At Wisconsin Jails, Prisons
The department hoped it wouldn't have to suspend in-person visits again, the head corrections official said.
February 28, 2022
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) announced Friday that in-person visitations at it’s facilities are back on. Starting March 1. Visits will be reopened due to lower levels of COVID-related activity. Secretary Kevin Carr said, “We appreciate the patience and understanding of those in our care and their loved ones as we have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.” He added that, “family connection during incarceration has shown to have a positive impact on success upon return to the community, and in-person visitation is one way of maintaining that connection.”
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According to a DOC press release, as of Feb. 24 there were 77 active cases of COVID-19 infections among people incarcerated within DOC facilities. DOC staff contributed an additional 22 active cases, across the entire agency. The DOC states that 83 percent of people currently incarcerated within DOC facilities have completed their initial round of vaccinations. More than 69 percent of those eligible for a booster have received one.
Attorney and professional visits will also resume on March 1. Volunteers and contractors will have access granted, and medical offsite visits will no longer require case-by-case evaluation and potential limitation. It’s the first time in-person visits and other functions have reopened since the beginning of the pandemic. Restrictions were first enacted in March of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic set in. Restrictions were limited yet again in December 2021, as the Omicron variant became more prevalent.
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“Of course,” said Carr, “we’re happy to resume many normal operations, and we hope there are no more suspensions of those operations. However, we have and will continue to follow the science in our COVID-19 mitigation efforts.”
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