The Wisconsin Department of Corrections announced last week it will no longer allow inmates from the Fox Lake Correctional Facility to participate in the construction of a new Wal-Mart distribution center in Beaver Dam.
The inmates' employment was granted as part of a work-release program, but their presence at the construction site came under fire earlier this month when residents living in the area questioned their safety.
"As a result of the neighborhood and community concerns raised about the placement of work-release inmates at Wal-Mart, we have decided to withdraw work-release inmates from the construction site," Department of Corrections Secretary Matthew Frank said in a response letter. Frank said there were at most eight inmates working at the site, and their employment ran for less than one month.
State Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said much of the controversy began when a resident from Beaver Dam contacted him, expressing worries the community was being exposed to violent criminals or inmates incarcerated for severe drug charges. He then took action to ascertain whether the inmates on work release were a danger to the public, Fitzgerald added.
"Probably the most egregious crime that had been committed by anybody located out there was drug trafficking," Fitzgerald said. "So there weren't any violent offenders there."
Fitzgerald said he was pleased by the DOC's decision to put an end to the practice of having the inmates work on the Beaver Dam construction site.
"I think it's smart — it's such a sensitive project in the first place," Fitzgerald said, noting local resistance to the construction of the distribution location because of its size.
Despite the controversy over the inmates working at the Wal-Mart site, Fitzgerald said he is very supportive of work-release programs in the state, noting the majority of inmates working on the Beaver Dam project were incarcerated for multiple drunken driving offenses.
The granting of work release is performed by a judge upon sentencing, Dodge County Jail Administrator Molly Soblewski said. She added many inmates who are given work release have been convicted of traffic violations and none are violent criminals.
"The judges have always been very good about working with us on what they would consider viable candidates for the work-release program," Soblewski said. "We talk to the judges on a routine basis and work with them so that we are not releasing people into the program that are not appropriate candidates."
Soblewski said both the community and jail inmates can benefit from work release because local businesses and under-funded programs gain assistance from the inmates, without siphoning taxpayer dollars from county and state funds. Work release can also have a positive effect on inmates and their rehabilitation, Soblewski said.
"[The inmates] want to be productive and they want to show us they can be productive. And at the same time they can learn some basic skills in different areas," Soblewski said. "It's just a win-win situation for all of us."
Fitzgerald concurred, adding work release privileges create an incentive for inmates to remain on their best behavior while in jail. Work release can be revoked if an inmate acts up, he added.
"The work programs are important to correctional officers, as well, because a lot of the correctional officers that work in the system see it as a management tool for the jail population," Fitzgerald said. "It's a huge privilege for an inmate to get outside the walls everyday."
