MILWAUKEE–A newly discovered letter sent last month includes Wisconsin Department of Corrections officials commending Sheriff David Clarke for “the safety and security” of the Milwaukee County Jail, while neglecting to mention the four recent deaths in the jail, including those of a newborn baby and a man who died of thirst.
The 7-page letter to Clarke summarizes an inspection from DOC officials and includes the astonishing line, “You and your staff should be commended for the work being accomplished at the facility to ensure the safety and security of the jail and residents of Milwaukee County.” The four deaths have been widely reported.
The DOC is a Cabinet agency, headed by a Secretary appointed by Governor Scott Walker. It is unclear if Walker was aware of the letter.
Walker refused to consider removing Clarke from his position in the wake of a series of recent unhinged comments made by the controversial sheriff. Those comments included direct threats of violence against a citizen who shook his head dismissively at the sheriff’s support of the Dallas Cowboys while boarding a plane on the same day the Cowboys played the Green Bay Packers in a playoff game.
Walker also hasn’t walked back his recent endorsement of Clarke for a national security position at Homeland Security or in the White House.
Full coverage of the controversy can be found at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
UPDATE: The full 31-page inspection report can now be found here.
