Protesting solitary confinement: Hunger strike begins at Wisconsin prisons

MADISON — A handful of Wisconsin prison inmates have started a hunger strike in hopes of forcing an end to long-term solitary confinement.


The Industrial Workers of the World, a labor union working to draw attention to the strike, announced on Monday that at least seven inmates at Waupun Correctional Institution and Columbia Correctional Institution had pledged to stop eating on Friday.

A Department of Corrections spokesman said Friday that "several" inmates have started to refuse food. He said the agency would monitor their condition to ensure their health and safety. He didn't immediately respond to an email asking how many inmates are involved.