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| Where are inmates working? |
| By fox11online.com - Robert Hornacek |
| Published: 02/21/2012 |
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Wisconsin -- According to the Department of Corrections there are 145 prison inmates working at 20 employers in Northeast Wisconsin. Where? Initially, the Department of Corrections refused to tell us saying there were "...security concerns..." about the public knowing the names of the employers in the program. But we stayed on the story by filing an appeal. The DOC changed its position and provided us with a list of the employers, but placed strict security limits on the list. From the list, we did some of our own research and found that most of the inmates are punching the clock at area manufacturing companies while some are working for a non-profit and even a local university. FOX 11 On Special Assignment began its investigation four months ago. We wanted to know how inmates could be working at a time when so many other people were out of work. We asked Susan Ross, who oversees two work release sites in Northeast Wisconsin, what is done to ensure inmates aren't taking jobs from other people. "We work closely with companies to determine what their recruitment efforts are for civilian employees. That's one of the first questions we ask when we're approached by a company asking if we have any inmates that would be able to work at their facility," Ross told us in November. FOX 11 On Special Assignment found it's not just companies in the program. One inmate works at UW-Green Bay. Tom Koch is 18-months in to a two-year prison sentence. The former lawyer was convicted of theft for stealing more than $2 million from a business client to feed his gambling addiction. While he serves out his sentence, Koch is on work release making $8 an hour cleaning up the UW-Green Bay campus. "There are a lot of rules," he said. "I'm not ever allowed to go inside any buildings. I'm not allowed to interact with students and I would never try to do that anyway. I just go about my job and I'm very happy to have it." UW-Green Bay is happy to be part of the program. "This is their last step before they come out and go into the real world. So we're giving them a chance to slowly phase back into society. Being a learning institution that's what we like to do so we're helping with their rehabilitation," said supervisor Mike Van Lanen. He says one job on campus is reserved for an inmate. It's been that way for 20 years, ever since prisoners were brought in to clean up after Bayfest. Read More. |
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