Hunger strike continues: Seven inmates in Wisconsin prisons haven't eaten for 10 days

MADISON — A handful of Wisconsin inmates still won't eat in hopes of forcing an end to long-term solitary confinement.


The Industrial Workers of the World, a labor union promoting the strike, has said seven inmates spread between the prisons in Waupun and Portage stopped eating June 10th. The union issued a news release Saturday, June 18th, saying the prisoners are still refusing to eat.

Waupun inmate Cesar DeLeon also has stopped drinking out of concerns the prison's water is contaminated with copper and lead. DeLeon said in a June 14th letter to the union that 16 people started the strike but only three people were still striking at Waupun.

Department of Corrections spokesman Tristan Cook said he couldn't comment due to medical privacy laws but said the agency would ensure the inmates' health.