A probe into a drug and contraband smuggling ring at a Milwaukee County detention facility has resulted in the suspension of four employees, according to new reports from county officials.
During routine daily surveillance camera reviews, a correctional captain observed suspicious behavior by inmates in one of the dormitories at the Community Reintegration Center, formerly known as the House of Correction, on May 9, according to an email sent from the facility’s Superintendent Chantell Jewell to County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson and her chief of staff.
Staff conducted a “shakedown” or sweep in the dormitory, during which contraband was found, including makeshift weapons and illegal drugs, Jewell explained in the email obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It is believed staff may have been involved in the contraband smuggling and law enforcement was notified.
On May 13, the investigation expanded search efforts in two housing units where illegal drugs were found. During the probe, prisoners were placed in restrictive housing, also known as segregation or solitary confinement.
“Security is one of our core values, and we take it extremely seriously,” the CRC’s Assistant Superintendent Shayla Fenceroy told supervisors during the county’s judiciary and legislation committee on May 19.
“Our intent is to send a clear message that certain behaviors will not be tolerated within our facility,” she said.
Four employees are on paid suspensions, according to Fenceroy. She said she does not know how involved, if at all, the four employees were in the alleged drug smuggling ring at the facility.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is carrying out the investigation.
It is unclear how the drugs entered the Community Reintegration Center, but Fenceroy said in most cases contraband enters through the mail, insufficient searches of inmates upon their arrival, or staff, including professionals who visit the site.
The prevalence of illegal drugs in carceral facilities, including Wisconsin’s prison system and the Milwaukee County Jail, is nothing new.
In June 2023, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and DOC officials asked federal authorities to conduct an investigation into illegal drug and contraband smuggling ring at Waupun Correctional. Last year, nearly a dozen prison staff resigned or were fired as a result of the probe.
In an effort to tackle the issue in Milwaukee, the county pushed for a new body scanner to address the issue of illegal substances and contraband entering the County Jail.
The county-run CRC, located in Franklin, typically houses people serving misdemeanor sentences of a year or less who often have work release and other privileges, whereas the jail usually houses defendants awaiting trial.
According to Fenceroy, the CRC was on lockdown for several days as the sweep was made, restricting prisoner movement, suspending family visitation and limiting personal phone calls. During that time, narcotic-detection K-9 teams were deployed throughout the facility.
“These steps were essential to protect the integrity of the shakedown as maintaining an element of surprise was critical,” she said, explaining they did not want inmates communicating amongst themselves and discarding or sharing any possible contraband.
“When I first heard the news, I was very concerned,” Supervisor Justin Bielinski told the Journal Sentinel. “There is a fine line between emergency measurements and collective punishment.”
But Bielinski applauded how the CRC limited its use of the lockdown measure, as visitation is expected to return next week.
Fenceroy explained operations have resumed as normal, with enhanced security measures in place, such as unannounced searches, expanding the frequency of canine inspections and reducing staff time on a single assignment to 60 days.
County employees are not searched when they enter the facility. Vendors, contractors and visitors, however, are searched upon arrival.
A body scanner was ordered before the drug smuggling investigation and is expected to arrive in the coming weeks. It will be installed in the facility’s booking area. The body scanner is not intended for staff.
Fenceroy said at this time they have not determined how they would plan to search staff, whether through purchasing another body scanner or canine searches.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County detention employees suspended in drug smuggling probe
Reporting by Vanessa Swales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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