Nine employees have been fired at Wisconsin’s Waupun prison following a federal probe into contraband smuggling. The investigation was launched in March after allegations of drug and cell phone smuggling by employees. The Department of Corrections confirmed that 11 employees were placed on leave between May 2023 and March 2024. Nine employees have since been fired and two resigned, with a former maintenance worker sentenced for bribery. Additionally, nine people are facing state-level felonies related to the neglect resulting in the deaths of two incarcerated men. Former Warden Randy Hepp is one of the individuals facing charges. Waupun, the state’s oldest prison, has faced staffing shortages and safety concerns, leading to a lockdown in 2023 and 2024. The presence of contraband played a role in the lack of institutional control, leading to the lockdown. While staffing levels have improved since the lockdown, there are still 19 percent of correctional positions vacant at Waupun, slightly above the statewide average of 14 percent.
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