Committee Votes To Cut 60 Wisconsin Prison Guard Positions

Fewer guards would keep watch from Wisconsin’s prison towers under a measure that passed the Legislature’s budget committee Tuesday.

Gov. Scott Walker’s budget would cut 60 full-time positions from the Department of Corrections to reduce third-shift officers in guard towers. The idea is that in the middle of the night, prisoners are locked up, so there’s less need for guards to watch prison walls.

The measure would affect 10 Wisconsin prisons. Lawmakers made a partial exception in the plan for guards at Waupun, where Oshkosh Republican Rep. Michael Schraa said the prison needed time to adjust to fewer guards.

“I think this motion really just buys some time to allow for the installation of the razor wire,” said Schraa.

Middleton Democrat Sen. Jon Erpenbach said that was no way to run the prison system.

“Everybody should get ’em or nobody should get ’em. That’s the way it should be,” he said.

Democrats on the budget committee also questioned whether safety would be compromised by the cuts.

Overall, the plan would save the state more than $5.5 million.

Department of Corrections officials say anyone currently filling those positions would be moved into other vacancies. They’ve defended reducing staffing in the towers, saying there’s been only two inmate escape attempts during third shift over the last 20 years. They also have said they can maintain third-shift security using technology and perimeter patrols instead of tower guards.

Editor’s Note: This Associated Press story has been updated with reporting from Wisconsin Public Radio.