See the full timeline on Oshkosh Correctional Institution here:
https://wisconsinprisonvoices.org/inst/medium/oshkosh/timeline-of-oshkosh-correctional-institution/
D – Date estimated, Confirmed event
√ – Confirmed date & event
? – Rumor
ID Abbreviations:
KC – Kevin Carr, DOC Secretary
MF – Makda Fessahaye, DAI Administrator
CJ – Cathy Jess, OSCI Warden
ET – Emil Toney, OSCI Security Director
∆∆∆ Start of Timeline for OSCI ∆∆∆
∆∆∆ Coronavirus Pandemic, circa 2020 ∆∆∆
D 3/10 X-Bldg on lockdown, suspected cases; inmates begin being quarantined in Seg
√ 3/13 Memo of KC – claims no cases in DOC; non staff visits, religious services, volunteer programs suspended, day rooms
√ 3/16 Two free calls/wk
√ 3/19 Memo of MF – Informing of free calls
D 3/21 Puppy Parole: Majority of dogs from the Dog Program removed from the institution
? 3/21 Est. 2 dogs left in institution(rumored they’re left due to health reasons)
D 3/29 X-Bldg off lockdown
√ 4/01 Barbershop closed
√ 4/02 No handball or basketball
√ 4/06 Modified library schedule (5 period/wk: 4 hr 15 mins total) posted
√ 4/06 Confirmed cases: 2; W-Bldg on lockdown
√ 4/08 Memo of CJ – Announced 2 Confirmed Cases; Rec yard limited to one unit at a time for 1 or 2 times a day, No Rec boxes, 2 to a table; Med pass slowed; Meals limited to 2 per table & wiped after each use; Social workers by request only; Day rooms limited movement;
D 4/08 Unit workers receive cloth masks
√ 4/10 Memo of ET – Announcing non contact pat searches
√ 4/14 Mass movement clearing out the bottom tier of a wing of R-Bldg for additional segregation (quarantine)
√ 4/15 Memo of MF about facemasks; Handout of 4 paper facemasks to gen pop (20 days worth according to the memo)
√ 4/16 Cases: 8 confirmed, 1 pending, 12 neg (from CBS News, never announced by DOC to gen pop)
D 4/17 Handout of 1st cloth facemask to gen pop
√ 4/18 Shortage of hand soap on some housing units
√ 4/20 Handout of 2nd cloth facemask; 1st stamped envelope
√ 4/23 Memo of MF – Waiving PRC requirements for geriatric/medical release (only posted at Library, never announced)
√ 4/25 Another shortage of hand soap on some housing units
? 4/26 Bad Dog Revocation: Dogs (Est 3) now in inst. returned based on ‘behavioral problems’
√ 4/27 Kiosk deposit of .50¢ werkly starts
√ 5/05 Our ’20 days’ of disposable masks expires; no replacements offered; cloth masks can only be exchanged on Fridays
D 5/15 Some school (TABE testing, Horticulture, Building Maintenance & Construction) resumes
√ 5/28 Memo of CJ informing us of mandatory testing by the National Guard for all inmates & staff for week of 5/30; also requires mandatory mask use starting May 31
√ 5/31 Inmates and staff req’d to wear masks; still sporadic among staff
√ 6/01 Mandatory mask wearing cancelled as testing gets rescheduled for the week of 6/7
√ 6/03 Inter institution transfers resume. Dodge bus full of inmates arrived today around 9am and appx 15 guys were dropped off here. All were temperature checked upon arrival by a nurse.
√ 6/07 Mandatory mask wearing begins again
√ 6/09 Nat’l Guard starts testing
√ 6/10 KC issues memo about death of George Floyd and that DOC condemns excessive force and failure to intervene to protect ppl.
√ 6/11 Nat’l Guard done testing; First results come back: 1 positive case on Middle unit (D-Bldg), Entire unit quarantined and infected individual was removed to a different Unit (possibly Seg, R-Bldg or HSU but unknown right now)
? 6/12 Testing results of 1200 back: 1 positive, 200+ recovered
√ 6/12 Kiosks/Wi-Fi goes out this afternoon
√ 6/15 Wi-Fi back on; Mandatory mask wearing ends
D 6/23 Rec boxes out on yard on limited basis (horseshoes, CornHole)
√ 7/1 Free video visits begin
D 7/6 Barbershop reopens
√ 7/10 Memo of CJ saying mask wearing will be mandatory for staff and inmates
√ 7/13 Mandatory mask wearing begins; Most of the Educational programs restart; 2-tiers of each Unit allowed in day rooms at a time
D 7/14 Breaking Barriers with Books resumes
√ 7/17 Yards times increase, 2 units out at a time in each field
√ 7/30 Dayroom/outdoor tables can now have 4 ppl at them again (not including meal times); Basketball, softball & volleyball now allowed at Outdoor Rec
D 8/01 Two disposable masks handed out
D 8/01 Heatwave (doors mandated to be closed by Madison allegedly for PREA safety)
D 8/15 Dayroom times expanded to allow 1 wing of each unit out during morning and afternoons
√ 8/18 Cloth masks on sale thru vendor
√ 8/25 Medical staff confirms that Madison has ordered medical providers not to issue Affidavits/Letters Supporting Compassionate Release unless the individuals symptoms on their own (w/o consideration of COVID-19) qualify for Compassionate Release
√ 9/14 Four individuals placed on quarantine from Open Center
√ 9/15 Two more individuals placed on quarantine from Open Ctr; Open Ctr placed on lockdown
√ 9/17 Two inmates from K-Bldg taken to quarantine; Memo from CJ acknowledging uptick of COVID-19 cases and reinstituting one unit on the Rec field at a time
√ 9/18 Three inmates from K-Bldg sent to quarantine
D 9/20 Three more units on quarantine (Close, U & P)
√ 9/21 Library, indoor rec, barber shop shut down
√ 9/22 Memo of CJ announcing unit quarantines on the 20th, she anticipates Nat’l Guard testing in the near future
√ 9/22 Announcement in morning: No off unit programming, no T4C, no unit programming for quarantine units, law library by request only, only laundry and food service on regular operations; HSED testing cancelled for quarantine units
√ 9/22 Plastic barrier installed for medication handout on units
√ 9/22 Library Memo: Law library access for non-quarantined units only with an approved court deadline only
√ 9/23 K-Bldg on quarantine
√ 9/24 Video visits suspended
D 9/24 V-Bldg on quarantine (majority of regular housing units locked down)
√ 9/24 K-Bldg disposable mask exchange (2 for 2)
√ 9/25 Procedures normalizing on housing units with unit manager protocols.
D 9/25 K-Bldg enters Phase 2 of quarantine
√ 9/28 All HSED testing cancelled
D 9/29 All units but Q-Bldg and D-Bldg are on quarantine (est. 1600+ ppl on quarantine or 80% of the population). Rumor is that Nat’l Guard testing is supposed to start tomorrow
End of Timeline