Prison foes say officials lied

BY JEFFREY HAGE

THE CHIPPEWA HERALD

John Wetzel of LaFayette feels he's been lied to about the planned special needs prison in Chippewa Falls.

He and other opponents of the prison at the Northern Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled feel Chippewa Falls and LaFayette residents have been lied to by local representatives in Madison, the Department of Corrections and even the state of Wisconsin.

"When it comes to the prison, we've received nothing but an unbelievable pack of lies," Wetzel said.

The citizens group opposing the prison have been circulating a 21-page document outlining plans for a special needs prison that was prepared for the state Department of Corrections by the Bureau of the Budget. The document contains information being sought by city and township leaders, as well as the public, since the idea of the special use prison was first proposed last year.

City officials said that as recent as January a request for information on the prison was called premature by state officials. But oddly enough, the Department of Corrections proposal is dated Sept. 1, 1998, suggesting that information on the prison plans have been available for more than eight months.

The special needs prison has rolled its way through the state Legislature virtually unopposed. All that stands in the way of the prison is approval by the Joint Finance Committee and then approval of the $7 million remodeling of the Highview Building by the Assembly and Senate.

There are a number of facts in the DOC prison proposal that have opened the eyes of some opponents.

Maybe one of the most startling bones of contention among opponents is the term "geriatric prison" has been replaced by "special needs" prison.

At the time the prison was proposed, geriatric was defined as people over 70 years old who were bed-ridden offenders, according to prison opponents. The state budget report plans call for a prison population including "able-bodied" prisoners in good health who are 50-years-old or older. Many of these younger prisoners would be housed at Highview to serve as workers.

The fact that prisoners will be used as workers also strikes up concern among opponents, who suggest that there is no guarantee that Northern Center jobs will be preserved.

Prison budget information states that many of the services provided by Northern Center employees could be contracted for. The DOC commits to no jobs other than to state that laundry and food service jobs would be maintained.