Issue 12
December 2020
PUBLIUS
1) Regarding COVID-19 on Unit 4. If the institution is keeping people who develop symptoms of the virus on the Unit with other people who are not infected and the other inmates contract it, you can file a lawsuit… Moreover, such conditions would be in violation of the 8th Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause, which means that they are conditions not considered during your sentencing and should be considered a “new factor”.
2) Even if the institution is stating that they have no room to house inmates with symptoms, this is not an excuse. The institution has numerous buildings and areas that it could temporarily convert into an emergency care center. I am sure you have all seen the centers on the news where they use a gym or other area to set up cubicle-like structures where patients stay. All they would have to do is install cubicles in the gym. It has bathroom facilities and showers.
3) In response to the idea that “quarantining people for 14 days is excessive”… COVID generally will not present itself for three to seven days. Also, infected individuals have been known to return a negative test result if tested three to four days after symptoms develop and usually it seems to take around seven days after they do develop for the virus to show a positive test result. More importantly, the 14 day quarantine was developed by medical professionals with the experience, knowledge and skill in how to deal with infectious diseases.
4) The DOC is run by people who are more politicians than managers.. If you saw the recent PBS special on our government, it stated something that really caught my attention: although the media outlets are not an official part of our governmental system, they are existential to our system of democracy. For how would the people know about things without them? If you’re interested in writing a news outlet here are some: ABC News or WISN12 is at: 759 North 19th Street, Milwaukee, WI. 53233; NBC New York at: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY. 10112. If you are going to contact them, it is important to know that news outlets are required to substantiate allegations. It may therefore be best to list actual names of numerous people and bring the information as a group.
5) I have found that the best way to have an issue resolved is to file an intelligent and researched complaint making it very clear that you know how to litigate and will seek resolve of the issue through litigation. In the past I have gotten the DOC to change policy and do other things by contacting: Secretary Car and his Legal Counsel for the DOC, who are both located at: 3099 East Washington Avenue, PO Box 7925, Madison, WI. 53707-7925. Before contacting them though: a) do your research, or b) get help from someone who REALLY KNOWS THE LAW!!!, and c) always complete the actual process before contacting them, as if you do not they will do nothing!!! The Secretary really is not there for the purpose of managing the individual institutions or to resolve issues. His job is to be a public figure, as is a Warden, and to regulate the management. So they will not get involved unless you state explicitly that the management has failed to do their job and take care of the meritorious issue.
6) At WSPF Units E and F were allowed 2 hours of recreation a day, whereas Units C and D were only allowed 1 hour of rec and 1 hour of dayroom. Federal law mandates 5 hours of rec a week, which requires actual access to facilities allowing exercise because exercise is necessary to maintain mental and physical health. In accordance with federal law, in order to have a “cause-of-action” regarding this you need to prove muscular atrophy or muscular deterioration as a result which is the “actual injury.” In support of my claim I stated that I was 185lbs when coming to WSPF from WCI in 2015 and in 2019 I had lost 30lbs of muscle and was 155lbs and I also stated that since being forced to go to WSPF I had developed mental health issues, and was prescribed antidepressants and sleep medication for depression and increased irritability (all signs of a degeneration of mental health and wellbeing: importantly, increased irritability and depression are directly attributable to isolation and sensory deprivation). Although we received a purported 1 hour a day of rec, we did not: in actuality we were released out our cells at the top of the hour, it took about 10 min to get to rec, and rec was called 5 minutes early. They also had no rec on weekends. So, we got an actual ability to exercise only 45 min a day 5 days a week. This was 3 ¾ hours of rec a week total. At WSPF every unit was the same and could be easily altered to be exactly like E and F, therefore I said the differentiation in treatment was not “reasonably related to a legitimate penological interest” and was a deliberate mistreatment for no reason. I filed a complaint with the institution and ICRS, who did nothing. I then went to the DOC Secretary and Legal Counsel… A week later construction started on the units to make all units the same.
7) IN CLOSING: before filing a complaint research, research and do more research!!! Know the law and facts and they WILL DO SOMETHING!!!
CHRISTOPHER 11/16/2020 11:37:36 PM
On 11-10,12 &13 there was a mass Covid-19 testing done. On my unit some people were informed that their test came back positive. The right thing to do would’ve been to remove them from G.P. as soon as they were informed. But NO!! that is not how things transpired. The persons on my wing who tested positive were told to pack their belongings into boxes and you will be moved off the unit. Then they were allowed to eat supper with everyone else like nothing was wrong. If that wasn’t bad enough for several hours other inmates were allowed to talk to them WITH THEIR MASK down around their chins. How is that protecting the persons in their care?! Nice Job Fox Lake Correctional!
CHRISTOPHER SMITH 11/15/2020 11:39:35 PM
Today Unit-6-C has been locked down due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Fox Lake was one of the last institutions who was COVID free until the ‘STUPID DECISION OF THE WARDEN, SECURITY DIRECTOR, AND KEVIN CARR IN MADISON’, by Transferring these COVID-19 victim’s in and spreading into the community at an uncontrollable rate. The Fox Lake Community is subjected to a Death-Sentence if you have preexisting health conditions. The only options we have at this point is to start filing your lawsuits against the DOC for ‘Total Disregard for Human Life’, simply because they should have never exposed this gated community to the CORONAVIRUS in the first place.
12/2/2020 4:03:33 AM
A black lady in Madison appeared on Channel 3 news Saturday Morning, lying about what is being done by the Department of Corrections to stop the speed of COVID-19 , For which the DOC has exposed all of it’s worker’s & inmates to this deadly disease by allowing these positive cases into a COVID-19 free environment. There is no reason that this administration should totally disregard CDC & DHS rules and regulations. Just about an hour ago on fox 6 news at 10, Governor Tony Evers lied about the decrease in prison population that he calls, knowing that he’s done absolutely nothing to help solve this problem. Truth of the matter is, LAWMAKERS, GOVERNORS, JUDGES, AND THE PRESIDENT DON’T GIVE 2 F#%KS ABOUT US PRISONERS. Truth of the matter is, ‘We’re all in trouble with this COVID-19 MONSTER’.
ROBERT MCBAIN 11/24/2020 2:03:35 PM
Fox Lake has surpassed the 400 mark of COVID infections according to a few staff members and medical has stopped other than for the covid cases. So I have documented nerve damage in my right arm with continued pain in my right knee and the HSU nurses have told me out right that I won’t be seen by a provider until the covid is over. The Manager has her nurses answering all of the messages to her. So when does this become a matter of negligence and what or how can I get this remedied. I know I’m not the only one with these issues here at FoxLake. I am currently waiting on an answer from the manager to see what she is willing to do into this matter that is if her nurses don’t answer for her!
Anonymous 11/25/2020 10:41:33 PM
I am tired of reading about the complaints of everyone here at the Fox or putting the blame on the staff. Yes D.O.C makes mistakes and so do we, but it is not for us to sit here and complain or make remarks about certain staff that are here they are out there dealing with the same but WORSE things than we are in here. You need to suck it up and deal with the issues, now some of the things that happen at the Fox are bad like the story about the mail and PRC and H.S.U yes that is WRONG, but to complain or pass judgement because of a mistake or even an intentional wrong that is wrong also and TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT.
You have people on the street that are doing EVERYTHING CORRECT but are still getting sick, so no matter what you do you may still get the covid.
So to put blame on the D.O.C for everything that happens to us is not cool at all we need to make the best out of the situation that has been handed to us like wearing your mask AT ALL TIMES no matter what kind of mask it is. Clean your area and whatever else that you need to do and yes I do have covid and am having symptoms and the crazy part it started after I was tested and came back negative and was moved to a negative wing am I complaining about it NO, I am doing the best that I can I have alerted H.S.U and you know what they ignored my request for a retest, but I am still working and staying away from others as much as possible and keeping myself medicated and wearing my mask that is the best that I can do at this time and moment and that is what everyone else needs to do also. So pull up YOUR BIG BOY PANTS AND GROW UP and deal with it by doing everything possible except complain about staff and what they are doing wrong or did wrong they are HUMAN just like you and me.
Kyle Fish (660126) 12/5/2020 3:43:33 AM
I am in the process of setting up a lawsuit against the DOC for the way we are treated here at Fox Lake by the PRC committee … more specifically the head of said committee. I’ve approached the issue of her malice before using this forum, but have finally had the chance to experience her methods firsthand. I have dealt with her changing statements (both hers and mine), falsifying information in the report, and even though I’ve reported these things to the appropriate parties (ICE) they are stating that I have insufficient evidence to do anything about it. As such have been able to take the appropriate steps to sue. My object in this suit is for the courts to find it to be unjust that these hearings are not recorded, as we inmates have no other way to justify our claims of mistreatment. These hearings pertain directly to our freedoms, and the apparent content of which should not be decided solely by the person committing the mistreatment, who details the events of the hearings as she sees fit, giving her the ample ability to forge a dialogue that is far from the truth, using the subsections “Inmate Comments” and “Staff Comments” with no threat that her version of the events will be questioned from a third party outside of the room. What I’d like from you (The People) is for any complaints you have about the treatment from the PRC Committee that you have filed in the past. Every account helps to form a better picture of the sheer scope of the mistreatment and inaction by the DOC. People will try to say that nothing will change, but change only happens when people stand together and do something about injustice. Now in this time of need its more important than ever that we do just that.