Rise in Inmate Assaults Raises Serious Questions

Nov. 22, 2011
Contact: Marty Beil
608-836-0024

A spike in assaults against staff at Dodge Correctional Institution should provoke serious questions about safety within the correctional system, union officials say.

In the past 12 days, there have been four serious assaults at Dodge. The overcrowded facility currently housesabout 1,400 inmates despite a capacity of 800.

“In addition to the pummeling state workers are taking from Gov. Scott Walker’s endless campaign to silence their voices, correctional officers face heightened concerns for their safety and the safety of the communities they serve,” said Marty Beil, executive director of the Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24.

Beil said morale is at an all time low because of Walker administration policies that have made it more difficult for workers to share concerns with supervisors. Walker’s attack on collective bargaining rights also has prompted a large exodus of experienced officers. Dodge currently has 30 unfilled vacancies as a result.

“The new work rules Walker just jammed down our throats take away longstanding mechanisms for labor-management communication. Workers with no rights have a completely predictable fear that speaking up might cost them their jobs,” Beil said.

“We understand that these jobs come with inherent risks. Our members bravely face these risks every day. But we also know that managing these risks requires trust and open communication between workers and managers, and Walker has gone out of his way to shatter that trust,” Beil said.

“Four serious assaults in 12 days is unacceptable. It’s a sign that something is seriously wrong in the system. Walker will no doubt point fingers at others. He always does. But his radical policies and disdain for front-line workers have consequences. Responsibility for problems always starts at the top,” Beil said.

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