Mr. Richard Schneiter, Warden
1101 Morrison Drive
P. O. Box 1000
Boscobel, WI 53805-0900
Phone: (608) 375-5656
FAX: (608) 375-5595

Inmate Mail:
P.O. Box 9900
Boscobel, WI 53805-9900

SECURITY LEVEL: Maximum
OPERATING CAPACITY: 500
CURRENT POPULATION: 288
DATE OPENED: November 1999
NUMBER OF ACRES: 24
SPECIAL UNITS: Intake, Control/Disciplinary, Transition, Medical/ Observation (9 beds)
NUMBER OF SECURITY STAFF: 180
NUMBER OF NON-SECURITY STAFF: 72
OPERATING BUDGET: $17,626,600

INMATE PROGRAMS

Educational programming includes Adult Basic Education, High School General Equivalency diploma studies, Exceptional Education Needs, Life Skills, Cognitive skills, self-study courses and small business course. These programs will be delivered by a closed circuit television system supplemented by one-on-one educational staff assistance. Inmates have access to educational materials from the institution library.

Clinical services include assessment, crisis intervention, and cognitive skills services provided by professionally trained clinicians, crisis intervention workers, and a psychiatrist. Services are delivered via video technology, one-to-one consultation, reading material and group counseling in the Transition Unit.

A full-time chaplain provides religious services, with most services delivered via the closed circuit video system, at cell front and in group settings.

A program of structured inmate activities is provided which includes in-cell community services and individual in-cell work projects. Other positive inmate activities are programmed through video technology and supplemented by one-to-one staff inmate interaction at the cell front.

SPECIAL HISTORICAL NOTES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION

The Wisconsin Secure Program Facility is located off Highway 133 east of Boscobel. This institution provides a controlled correctional environment to protect the community, staff and other inmates from the most violent and difficult to manage inmates under Department of Corrections supervision, while offering inmates the opportunity for self-improvement, a positive adjustment and eventual transition to a less secure prison setting.

The WSPF is a newly constructed high tech security facility, supportive of the State of Wisconsin’s commitment to manage violent inmates in a safe and humane manner. The institution’s modern design enhances the safety of staff and inmates, improves program opportunities and living conditions for a difficult to manage population.

This is the (former) Boscobel supermax.

how so untrue of this prison....I know you write what you have read but my son was transferred over to there and is now not the same person he was. he does not get these programs mentioned at all....it gets none of what you wrote....his last letter to his sister states what his mental health is.....he thinks demons are taking him over and he has refused to eat since march 11 today is the 16th. the sad part is noone is giving us any information on him...he talks of suicide....I dont know what to do or where to turn.....
colleen

WSPF does not take inmates who exhibit or have a history of exhibiting thoughts of self harm. If this is the case he would probably be a candidate for Columbia Correctional Institution as they have a Special Management Unit to treat this behavior. Also, it bears mentioning that Wisconsin inmates are not sent directly to WSPF for crimes committed on the streets, they are sent there for behavior inside institutions. (Escape or Attempts, staff assaults, etc)

There is an inmate within boscobel currently that has requested psychological help for weeks and received nothing. This inmate then wrote a suicidal letter to his family. Still NO INTERVENTION. When the family finally contacted the prison in concern...It was made to believe ANY TIME AN INMATE NEEDS/asks for psychological HELP...they receive those services immediately. Now, the hurtful part....that same day after a family member called in concern....while a sleep this inmate was rushed in the middle of the night with p/s and stripped naked and will stay that way for days to weeks. Reasoning you ask? FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION! I guess when inmates request these services...it's not enough. But if the prison gets concern from the outside...they not only PUNISH these inmates....but they MAKE THEM SCARED TO EVER ASK FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES AGAIN. Inmates with severe mental issues are not to be sent to Boscobel (my opinion....because they treat them like animals! not humans...why else?).....but while at boscobel, to prove mental issues in an inmate is next to impossible.... my opinion.....this facility was for the worst of the worst. Well we don't have that many "worst of the worst"..so they changed the name. Now they can send inmates to boscobel for conflicts with other inmates. Don't get me wrong...I DO NOT CONDONE fighting....but to be sent to boscobel??? DO ALL INMATES THAT FIGHT GO TO BOSCOBEL??? What a JOKE. Then they can try to keep these inmates in their facility as long as they can... it then can stay up and running. In the mean time this inmate will NEVER mentally be the same. Question of the day......Why was boscobel sued recently? INHUMANE TREATMENT OF INMATES. I would love to hear stories of anyone that actually made it out of Boscobel mentally sane. I hope the inmate I spoke of can get through only 2.5 years of 5 total with out taking his life. Here's to you BOSCOBEL!! BE PROUD!

WSPF does not take inmates who exhibit or have a history of exhibiting thoughts of self harm. If this is the case he would probably be a candidate for Columbia Correctional Institution as they have a Special Management Unit to treat this behavior. Also, it bears mentioning that Wisconsin inmates are not sent directly to WSPF for crimes committed on the streets, they are sent there for behavior inside institutions. (Escape or Attempts, staff assaults, etc)
There was no staff assult here. there was an assult on an inmate bunking with my son. the inmate was convicted of raping and murdering a 7 year old child before truth in sentencing took hold in good old wisconsin. This inmate took my sons possession "his pictures of his two year old daughter" and proceeded to the cafeteria with them walking around making lewd actions and remarks about my sons toddler daughter. The guards KNEW there was a conflict brewing as my son asked for intervention in this situation that had happened before. but the guards and other staff said while they would like to help, they could not....as a parent and someone did that in reference to my child and I knew they were a murderer of a young child, I think I would of responded the same way. you see this murderer will soon be out because life sentencing back when meant 20 years with good behaviour and your out, this man knows what my grandchild looks like, do you think my son was not worried about this man getting information on his family and their whereabouts and repeat his crime.....no my son was sent to this hell hole only after the guards stood by and watched my son beat this man, but only got involved once the entire cafeteria got involved. Every one knows both in and out of prison that pediophiles dont stand a very good chance in prison as well as other types of prisoners such as bad cops that get sentenced, etc.....my son will never be the same mentally again....in this hell hole...and unless you have a loved one there that can communicate the actual scenerio of what goes on in this sadistic place you will never have any idea.....is that how this prison deals with a potential suicidal mentally ill inmate, who they didnt notice stopped eating on march 11 with the full trays left untouched until a family member called concerned on march 18, one full week of ignoring his plight...no they took notice when a family member called and for that this inmate, my son was pepper sprayed in the face, beat on the ground as they stripped him of his clothes, crying asking what he had done, willing to eat his own feces if they would just give him back his clothes, all because a family member contacted someone up there with concerns......wisconsin has so much to be proud of....that is the only prison in wisconsin that isnt full and under scrutiny continuously....look up the law suit in 2001 that took place and read the real story of this place....look and see who the federal judge favored in this lawsuit.....
noone should be treated like that....I dont care what they did....prison reform...hah....most that go to prison never come out the same person...they treat prisoners of war far more humane.....go figure the soldiers triad for inhuman treatment of prisoners in Iraq are some of our most finest guards for our prison system.......

This sounds very very bad, is there in Wisconsin something like CURE or so, that can protest such inhumane acts?
Obviously, it did not help in this place...
Abelle

A living coffin...that is what supermax is. My husband was there for 6 months. And in that time he lost over 20 lbs, was gased, beaten and was refused clothing and his bible. Since he has been released he can't even talk about the things that happend. Everone denies it, but he knows the truth. He was only 17 and that was illegal. He also was one of the mentally ill inmates that was ordered out of supermax a couple of years ago. That places just gives me the creeps looking at it. All that cement and those little slits for windows that the inmates never even sees. They were told to make changes,but nothing much seems to have changed. My heart goes out to all those who have loved ones there. No one deserves that.

There is a petition going to turn this prison into a 'regular' prison. I will post it in the petition forum soon.
Abelle

From the January 16th People's Forum, Green Bay Press Gazette

Supermax prison wastes tax money

SUAMICO - The supermax prison, now known as The Wisconsin Secure Program Facility in Boscobel, is supposedly intended for the state's most dangerous inmates. At a cost of $57,000 per inmate per year, it is not intended for the nonviolent offender, the mentally ill, juveniles or the elderly.
This facility offers little to no mental-health care, few educational opportunities, and minima drug rehabilitation programming.
The inmates often return to our communities with the same problems they entered with, except intensified by harsh conditions. Inmates are in total isolation almost 24 hours a day, have no contact with other humans except when food trays are shoved back and forth through a slit in the door.
Inmates are often denied reading materials while spending years in six-foot by 12-foot kennels.
The media and the public are not allowed access to the facility, or information about its inhabitants or the prison's policies. More than 350 people are housed there; most of them do not require such a severe prison. Some inmates are elderly with medical problems. I urge you to contact the governor and request a serious review of this facility.
Roger Miller


OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
115 EAST CAPITOL
MADISON, WI 53702

(608)266-1212
(608)267-8983 FAX

(http://<font color=)


Copy this article, sign it and send to the Governor if nothing else...

(There is more awful information about deaths at Boscobel here on PTO also)

That's crazy. I grew up new Boscobel and the weird thing is that this all sounds like the people of Boscobel. They are all a bunch of hicks who like to fight and harass people. They would come to high school sporting events and intentionally pick fights, the girls as well as the boys. They were scary! I was on the basketball team and we always ended up hurt after playing them. It would figure that they would be the ones employed at a place like that.

near Boscobel not new it

That's crazy. I grew up new Boscobel and the weird thing is that this all sounds like the people of Boscobel. They are all a bunch of hicks who like to fight and harass people. They would come to high school sporting events and intentionally pick fights, the girls as well as the boys. They were scary! I was on the basketball team and we always ended up hurt after playing them. It would figure that they would be the ones employed at a place like that.Well there is NOTHING to do there so i guess that is their entertainment. Lots of people with alcohol problems I am sure.

Mr. Richard Schneiter, Warden
1101 Morrison Drive
PO Box 1000
Boscobel, WI 53805-0900
Phone: (608) 375-5656
FAX: (608) 375-5595

Visits
Visits at WSPF are primarily conducted through video visitation. There were a total of 1322 (down
from 1617 in FY04) visits and 2107 visitors this year (down from 2457 in FY04). Face to face
visitation for Level 4 and 5 inmates decreased slightly from FY04 with 120 visits (FY04 150 visits)
visits involving 185 visitors. Broadband video visits were available between WSPF and Racine
Wisconsin Secure Program Facility
FY05 Annual Report
Page 13 of 25
Correctional Institution (117 visits involving 279 visitors) as well as the Milwaukee Secure
Detention Facility (442 visits involving 691 visitors)
There were a total of 39 video court hearings held during FY05.

There are a few sites that provide information on the prison conditions in WSPF, and some try to lend a helping hand to inmates isolated (in the form of penpals, visits, etc):

http://forumforunderstandingprisons.org
Forum For Understanding Prisons is a group of concerned citizens who visit people in WSPF and who also try and help out with others who do not have transport to visit their loved ones there. Their website contains penpalads, art of inmates at wspf and other prisons in Wis, and stories of inmates.

http://prisoneractioncoalition.blogspot.com/
Prisoners' Action Coalition helps inmates in amongst others WSPF, and they are knowledgable about prison-judicial issues and other issues dealing with Wi prisons.

http://www.prisoncentral.org/Prisoncentral/Supermax.htm
Prisoncentral has a lot of inmate stories, but it is not updated anymore (I think).

Some links to information about the 'former' supermax WSPF in Boscobel:

http://www.supermaxed.com/Wisconsin-SM-Page.htm
Info and links on supermaxed.com.

http://forumforunderstandingprisons.org
Forum For Understanding Prisons (FFUP), a group of people concerned about the inmates held in isolation in Wisconsin. With essays from WSPF inmates, and penpal ads.

http://hrw.org/reports/2003/usa1003/Wisconsin_Expert_Kupers_El_Jones.pdf
A report of Human Rights Watch on Mental Health Issues at WSPF (SMCI was its former name).

My fiance was recently "Staffed" and was told that when he actually gets placed he will be going to either Green Bay or Boscobel. After reading this thread, I'm nervous that he may get sent here.

That would be strange, Joshs! It is supermax, and Green Bay is max or medium level, and I would not think a new inmate would go straight to the supermax.. But wait.... Boscobel WSPF is being refurbished to house other prisones as well, so it can now be possible, but he would not be housed as a "supermax" inmate but 'Maximum' or 'medium', with more "freedom" than the supermax inmates. I hope for the best for you.

I have heard of people going directly to wspf.

what is the latest on what is happening in that hell hole?

There was no staff assult here. there was an assult on an inmate bunking with my son. the inmate was convicted of raping and murdering a 7 year old child before truth in sentencing took hold in good old wisconsin. This inmate took my sons possession "his pictures of his two year old daughter" and proceeded to the cafeteria with them walking around making lewd actions and remarks about my sons toddler daughter. The guards KNEW there was a conflict brewing as my son asked for intervention in this situation that had happened before. but the guards and other staff said while they would like to help, they could not....as a parent and someone did that in reference to my child and I knew they were a murderer of a young child, I think I would of responded the same way. you see this murderer will soon be out because life sentencing back when meant 20 years with good behaviour and your out, this man knows what my grandchild looks like, do you think my son was not worried about this man getting information on his family and their whereabouts and repeat his crime.....no my son was sent to this hell hole only after the guards stood by and watched my son beat this man, but only got involved once the entire cafeteria got involved. Every one knows both in and out of prison that pediophiles dont stand a very good chance in prison as well as other types of prisoners such as bad cops that get sentenced, etc.....my son will never be the same mentally again....in this hell hole...and unless you have a loved one there that can communicate the actual scenerio of what goes on in this sadistic place you will never have any idea.....is that how this prison deals with a potential suicidal mentally ill inmate, who they didnt notice stopped eating on march 11 with the full trays left untouched until a family member called concerned on march 18, one full week of ignoring his plight...no they took notice when a family member called and for that this inmate, my son was pepper sprayed in the face, beat on the ground as they stripped him of his clothes, crying asking what he had done, willing to eat his own feces if they would just give him back his clothes, all because a family member contacted someone up there with concerns......wisconsin has so much to be proud of....that is the only prison in wisconsin that isnt full and under scrutiny continuously....look up the law suit in 2001 that took place and read the real story of this place....look and see who the federal judge favored in this lawsuit.....
noone should be treated like that....I dont care what they did....prison reform...hah....most that go to prison never come out the same person...they treat prisoners of war far more humane.....go figure the soldiers triad for inhuman treatment of prisoners in Iraq are some of our most finest guards for our prison system.......

Kia just wondering how your son is doing now- did they let him back out into gen pop? sending prayers your ways, as always!