A local leader in the campaign to reduce the use of solitary confinement in Wisconsin prisons said recently that its opponents must work together to hold the state Department of Corrections accountable for how it treats prisoners – “the people in their care.” Sarah Ferber, the Chippewa Valley organizer for JONAH/EXPO, added that “the use of solitary confinement […]
Wisconsin inmates report despair, little counseling in solitary confinement without a fixed end date
By Alexandra Arriaga and Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism Waupun Correctional Institution inmate Cesar DeLeon said he has punched the wall until his fist is bloody during the 15 years in prison in which he has rotated in and out of solitary confinement. “I can’t understand why I have to do it,” […]
A “newbie’s” commentary on JONAH’s “Action Day” trip to Madison
Editor’s Note: More than 800 people gathered in Madison last week to meet with state legislators under the auspices of WISDOM, a statewide organization dedicated to linking Wisconsin communities to work for justice. An Eau Claire contingent from JONAH made the trip and one of its members provided the following commentary from her personal perspective, […]
Six hunger strikers at two Wisconsin prisons protest long-term isolation for themselves, others
By Dee J. Hall Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism About half a dozen Wisconsin prison inmates have begun refusing food as part of a protest against long-term isolation known as administrative confinement, according to backers of the protest. At least one inmate participating in the hunger strike, LaRon McKinley Bey, has sued the state […]