This is the second time the DOC has closed and reopened the facilities for visitors since the pandemic began. | Pixabay/ErikaWittlieb
This is the second time the DOC has closed and reopened the facilities for visitors since the pandemic began. | Pixabay/ErikaWittlieb
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) recently reported that prisons across the state will be reopening for in-person visits with friends and family of inmates.
Wisconsin prisons have been closed for in-person visits since January in response to a sharp increase of COVID-19 cases, according to the Wisconsin Public Radio.
DOC Secretary Kevin Carr thanked inmates and their families for their patience as DOC took measures to contain the spread of the pandemic.
"Family connection during incarceration has shown to have a positive impact on success upon return to the community, and in-person visitation is one way of maintaining that connection," Carr said.
This is the second time the DOC has closed and reopened the facilities for visitors since the pandemic began.
"I know a lot of people really depend on the visits that they do get," Ramiah Whiteside, associate director of Ex-incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO), said, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. "It could be from a mom or dad, or like I said, if you have children, you really depend on and look forward to those times together."
Eighty-one percent of 16,033 people in DOC care have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
Anyone visiting a DOC facility will be required to follow coronavirus guidance. All visitors will be required to present a negative test within 72 hours of a visit or take a rapid test. Visitors will also be required to wear face masks and answer screening questions.
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