MADISON (NBC 26) — Wisconsin prisons will soon reopen to in-person visits, according to the state Department of Corrections.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections announced Friday that it is reopening its facilities for in-person visitation starting Tuesday, March 1, due to a continued decrease in COVID-19 activity.
As of Thursday, Feb. 24, there were 77 active COVID-19 infections among people in DOC care and 22 DOC employees with active cases across the entire agency, the DOC said. In addition, 83% of people currently in DOC care have completed their initial vaccine series, and more than 69% of those eligible for a booster dose have received one.
The DOC said attorney and professional visits will also resume on March 1. All volunteers and contractors will again be allowed access to DOC facilities on the March 1 deadline. Resumption of programming facilitated by volunteers/contractors can also resume, said the DOC. Medical offsite visits will no longer be subject to case-by-case evaluation and potential limitations starting March 1.
Anyone visiting a DOC correctional institution or center will be subject to any current guidance related to masking and testing.
The DOC said this marks the second time DOC has reopened for in-person visits since the beginning of the pandemic. After initially closing its facilities to all but necessary personnel in March of 2020, the agency reopened its doors for in-person visits in July of 2021. However, access to DOC facilities was limited again in December 2021 when infections from the Omicron variant swept across the state.
