State Department Of Corrections Misses Body Camera Goal

Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections acknowledge they have missed a goal for providing body cameras to officers.

The Legislature gave the department $591,400 to buy 200 body-worn cameras for officers in solitary confinement units at six maximum security adult prisons.

But Corrections Secretary Cathy Jess acknowledged in a letter to legislative leaders on Monday her department hasn’t deployed any of those cameras. She said her department first had to determine what features it wanted. She said the procurement process then proved lengthy. She said a shortage led to further delays.

Therefore, she said the department couldn’t deliver a report by the July 1 deadline on whether the cameras were reducing assaults.

Democratic state Sen. Jennifer Shilling, of La Crosse, said the administration “bungles” even basic tasks like buying safety equipment.

Correction: This story was corrected by the Associated Press to show the Corrections Department was given $591,400 for the cameras, not $326,700.