After over a year of lockdown at Wisconsin's Green Bay Correctional Institution, which triggered a protest in Madison, the prison returned to normal operations on July 28, the Wisconsin Examiner reports. “If you don’t have a job, or… chapel, or something of that nature, you’re in your cell maybe 23 hours or 24 hours a day, depending on [if] it’s a recreation day,” said Michael Johnson, who spoke the day after the return to normal operations. In June, the lockdown hit a one-year mark. Over time, the prison has allowed incarcerated people more recreation time. On the week of May 20, it started offering at least two 50-minute recreation periods per week and at least one additional period per month, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections said. Now, inmates have no fewer than four hours of recreation each week, said Kevin Hoffman of the corrections department. This is offered outside if weather permits.
“Experienced staff continue to support newer officers to help operations run smoothly and offer more opportunities to those in our care,” said corrections secretary Jared Hoy. Stacy Knapp, whose son is incarcerated at the prison, said that the cells are small and every meal is eaten within feet of the toilet. “The environment is torture,” Knapp said. “Not just that noise level, but also being confined to your cell for essentially 24 hours a day, and not alone, with another human being in that space.” Joe Verdegan, a former staff member who left in 2020, said there formerly were many vocational programs, like welding and electrical work. When iinmateshave a job, “they don’t want to screw that up,” he said. “Usually the guys at the prison that are causing problems have idle time,” Verdegan said. For technical education, the prison offers instruction in three fields: business operations assistant, cabinetmaking/wood technician, and masonry, Hoffman said. The institution is looking for a new instructor for the barbering program. There were 34 people enrolled in career technical education at the end of June.
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