MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin Department of Corrections announced Friday they are reopening facilities for approved in-person visits starting next Tuesday, a sign the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly under control in the state's once-vulnerable prisons.
The DOC said as of Thursday, they had 77 active COVID cases among inmates and 22 cases among employees. DOC says 83 percent of inmates have completed their vaccine series, and more than 69 percent of those same people have gotten their booster.
People who can now visit DOC facilities include:
- Attorney and professional visits - March 1
- All volunteers/contractors - March 1
- Resumption of programming facilitated by volunteers/contractors - March 1
- Medical offsite visits will no longer be subject to case-by-case evaluation and potential limitation starting March 1
This is now the second time DOC has reopened its facilities for approved visitors. They reopened in July of last year when the pandemic seemed stabilized, but reintroduced the policy in December when cases climbed as the Omicron variant emerged as the dominant strain.
When in-person visitation was not allowed, DOC allowed two free phone calls per week and installed video conferencing systems. Those options will remain in place. DOC said some facilities may modify visitation days and times as needed.