250 MORE INMATES TO GO TO OKLAHOMA
PRISON THERE HAS DRAWN COMPLAINTS

More Wisconsin prisoners will be moved to a private Oklahoma prison --
the same prison where some state inmates have complained of
mistreatment -- after action by the state Legislature's Joint Finance
Committee Thursday.

The committee approved a request from the state Department of
Corrections to move 250 more prisoners to the prison in Sayre, Okla.

The North Fork Correctional Facility in Sayre is a private prison run
by Corrections Corporation of America and houses only Wisconsin
prisoners. With Thursday's action, the population of the prison would
increase to 1,440 Wisconsin inmates.

Corrections officials said they asked for the change to complete the
consolidation of prisoners at Sayre, a move they say makes it easier
to transport and monitor out-of-state prisoners.

Several finance committee members said they are concerned about the
move because of complaints from inmates about treatment.

State Rep. Antonio Riley, D-Milwaukee, said he has received numerous
phone calls from the families of inmates at Sayre complaining about
treatment, including access to health care.

In response to Riley's questions, Corrections Secretary Jon Litscher
said state prison officials regularly monitor conditions at
out-of-state prisons.

After the meeting, Corrections spokesman Bill Clausius said the
department has dealt with the Sayre complaints.

"We've addressed every single complaint that came forward," Clausius
said.

The addition of 250 would increase the number of Wisconsin prisoners
housed in other states to 4,107. Wisconsin prisons, which house 14,896
prisoners, remain overcrowded.

In making their request, Wisconsin corrections officials noted that
state prisons are operating at 138 percent of their capacity.

"We have capacity issues," said Clausius. "We're bursting at the seams
again."

Several members of the finance committee expressed their displeasure
with the continued housing of prisoners out of state.

Litscher told committee members that the use of out-of-state prisons
is a stopgap measure until overcrowding in Wisconsin prisons can be
addressed.

"In the long-term view," Litscher said, "we hope to progressively move
away from that."