The seventh inmate dies in the Waupun prison, under the investigation of the federal government and calls for reforms

Waupun, Wis. –

Another inmate has died in Wisconsin's troubled maximum security prison in Waupun, the seventh in two years.

Officials from the Wisconsin correctional authority confirmed to WISN 12 News on Wednesday that the 23-year-old Damien Evans died on Tuesday afternoon.

“The guidelines of the Department of Corrections (DOC) informed the employees of the Sheriff of the Dodge County and the Dodge County Medical Examiner's Office of the Death. The Dodge County's medical examiner is responsible for determining the cause of death,” said a Doc spokesman.

Attorney Lonnie Story represents a group of occupants who sue the department for corrections about the conditions in prison.

“It is a terrible place. This is medieval, the way the conditions in this place are,” said Story.

He also represents family members of inmates who died in prison.

“These people went through hell,” said Story.

Since June 2023, two occupants died of suicide, one died of an overdose of fentanyl, one had a stroke and a dehydration and malnutrition. Doc officers have not published a cause of death for the cause of death for two other inmates.

Officials on Wednesday would not go into more detail on how Evans died, although the mayor of Waupun, Rohn Bishop, was involved against drugs.

“In this case, I hear it like an overdose of drugs, and that's on the security wing of the correction department,” said Bishop. “It is a constant struggle for her. People always try to smuggle things in, and sometimes they come in when they don't.”

The federal investigators have also examined a smuggling ring in which Waupun prison staff are involved who bring in cell phones and drugs. Governor Tony Evers's office said the investigation had led to the suspension of almost a dozen employees.

Last summer, the former Warten Randall Hepp and eight other prison workers were charged with the death of inmates Cameron Williams and Donald Maier.

The lawyer's story said that the document struggles to dismiss complaints in the tenant's class action. He said he planned to film with more inmates and more complaints about abuse.

“I can always see the writing on the wall,” said Story.

Online court files show that Evans time for a crime that took place in Racine County six years ago. He was imprisoned in Waupun in 2019 for armed robbery and deposit.

As a governor Evers, this comes a plan of $ 500 million for the reform of Wisconsin's prisons last month, which includes the conversion of Waupun into a center with medium security that focuses on vocational training for occupants and the closing of the prison in Green Bay.