“If your vote wasn’t important, why is that the first thing they take when they take your freedom?” asks Ray Mendoza. By Mario Koran Wisconsin Watch Ray Mendoza doesn’t care who you vote for. … [Read more...]
Short on Fixes for Prison Problems, Wisconsin Weighs Independent Oversight
Many other states have offices to scrutinize prison conditions and explore improvements. By Mario Koran Wisconsin Watch Wisconsin lawmakers have offered few remedies for deteriorating prison … [Read more...]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MILWAUKEE COURIER
My Unlikely Path From Jail to Journalism
While serving a sentence for burglary, I enrolled in a college journalism class. When I interviewed my correctional officer, my world broadened. By Mario Koran The New York Times / Wisconsin … [Read more...]
Former Waupun Prison Warden and Employees Charged in Prisoner Deaths
Prisoners had complained about a months-long lockdown that cut them off from family members and timely medical care. By Mario Koran The New York Times / Wisconsin Watch The former warden of a … [Read more...]
10 Guards, 900 Inmates: Wisconsin Prisons See Dire Results of Ignored Warnings
An extreme shortage of guards at Wisconsin’s prisons slowed basic operations to a crawl. Inmates escaped, prisons locked down and conditions deteriorated. By Mario Koran The New York Times / … [Read more...]
Second Prisoner Dies During Waupun Correctional Institution Lockdown; Restrictions Linger at Two Additional Prisons
Staffing shortages limit prisoner movement in Waupun, Green Bay and Stanley correctional institutions — more facilities than previously disclosed. By Mario Koran The New York Times Wisconsin … [Read more...]
Inside Waupun Correctional Institution’s ‘nightmare’ lockdown
Prisoners describe unsanitary conditions and a dearth of medical care. Experts say staffing shortages are contributing to lockdowns across the country. By Mario Koran The New York Times … [Read more...]
Wisconsin Students With Disabilities Often Denied Public School Options
Wisconsin lets public schools reject applications of students with disabilities who seek transfers across district lines — a form of exclusion courts have upheld. By Mario Koran Wisconsin … [Read more...]
Tired of Turmoil, Kiel Residents Rebuke Far-Right School Officials
By Mario Koran Wisconsin Watch Rebuking far-right officials who last year gained control of their school board, concerned residents of Kiel, Wisconsin, this month clawed back political power … [Read more...]