MILWAUKEE — The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an inmate on the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted” list after he was found dead in his cell at the Milwaukee County Jail on Sunday. I’m here. He is the second inmate to die in prison in just over a month.
Data obtained from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office shows the prison is over capacity. On the other hand, with about 100 employees, it is completely understaffed. Community advocates believe it is a contributing factor to prison deaths.
Three inmates have died in the last seven months at the Milwaukee County Jail. For Sylvester Jackson, who experienced prison life and is trying to reintegrate into society, it is a troubling number.
“When it gets as overcrowded as it is in a county, it’s inevitable that someone will get overlooked because there aren’t enough staff to keep an eye on everyone,” Jackson said. It’s about someone who holds you like they’re responsible for your health. ”
State law requires corrections officers to perform inmate cell checks on inmates on suicide watch once every hour and once every 15 minutes.
Milwaukee County Jail currently has 987 inmates, according to the Sheriff’s Office. A spokesman for the sheriff’s office said this put him 27 over the prison capacity.
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The sheriff’s office told TMJ4 that it does not have the legal authority to force inmates into other facilities if the county jail is full. A spokesperson said overflow requests to other institutions, such as correctional institutions, are often denied.
“There is a lot of crime in this city. I know the county is overcrowded.
The Sheriff’s Office will not comment on the latest inmate deaths as the investigation is ongoing, but a spokesperson said, “For both Milwaukee County Jail employees and residents, prison time is up as soon as possible. It is important to fully deploy the officers,” he said.
Of the 258 positions, only 162 are filled, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Milwaukee County Administrator David Crowley is concerned every time there are deaths in prisons and elsewhere in the county.
“At the end of the day, we’ll have to see what the investigation shows. I think it also has to do with resource issues,” he said.
Crowley said newly appointed Sheriff Denita Ball has promised her top priority will be making sure the vacancies in prison staff are filled.
“We will continue to work with the sheriff’s office to find identifiable strategies to get more people into the pipeline to become sheriff’s deputies or corrections officers,” Crowley said.
More than 75 police applicants have been vetted and undergo background checks, according to the sheriff’s office. The office is also planning additional in-person recruitment events in the spring and summer to recruit new members.
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