Wisconsin prison warden resigns amid lockdown and federal smuggling investigation

The warden of a troubled Wisconsin prison will resign later this month amid the curfew, an ongoing federal investigation and the deaths of several inmates.

Waupun Correctional Institution Warden Randall Hepp announced his resignation Tuesday, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The newspaper obtained an email Hepp sent to prison staff in which he wrote that his decision was not easy but that he believes it will benefit the institution. He added that the prison is one step closer to improving security.

Beth Hardtke, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections, told the Associated Press on Sunday that Hepp actually announced his retirement, not his resignation. She did not respond to a request for a copy of his email on Tuesday. Britt Cudaback, a spokeswoman for Gov. Tony Evers, referred questions to DOC officials.

Brad Mlodzik, who previously served as deputy prison warden in Waupun, will take over as prison warden there on June 30, the State Journal reported.

A chronic shortage of guards forced the state Department of Corrections to impose a curfew in Waupun and at Green Bay and Stanley prisons. Agency officials called the restrictions a “modified freedom of movement” rather than a curfew because they can adjust them over time.

Inmates at Waupun filed a lawsuit in federal court in October claiming conditions amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. That lawsuit is pending. Stanley resumed normal operations in late November. Movement restrictions in Waupun and Green Bay have been eased, but some remain in place. According to the Department of Corrections’ last update in April, in-person visits have not yet resumed in Waupun and recreational time was still restricted, but inmates have been issued electronic tablets that allow them to make phone calls and send emails and texts.

Cudaback said in March that federal authorities were investigating an apparent smuggling ring involving Waupun Correctional employees. She said at the time that multiple searches of the prison had revealed people obtaining prohibited items such as cell phones and illegal drugs. At least 11 prison employees have been suspended since May 2023 in connection with the investigation.

Since June 2023, four inmates have died in Waupun. One committed suicide in solitary confinement, one died of a fentanyl overdose, and another died of a stroke. The fourth inmate was found dead in the facility in February. His death remains under investigation. The daughter of the inmate who killed himself in solitary confinement has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Waupun officials failed to provide him with adequate mental health care and medication.

Hepp took over as prison warden in Waupun in May 2020. He began his career in the state prison system in 1984 as a guard at Dodge Correctional Institution.