Wisconsin prison in-person visits resume March 1

Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) prison

Wisconsin prisons will allow in-person visits again beginning next week as COVID-19 cases continue to decline.

Department of Corrections officials said Friday that they will reopen their facilities to visitors starting Tuesday, March 1.

The prison system initially closed its doors to visitors in March 2020 as the pandemic was taking hold. The DOC reopened to visits in July 2021 but closed them down again this past December amid the omicron surge.

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The department offered inmates two free phone calls per week and installed video conferencing systems to help inmates stay in touch with loved ones while institutions were closed.

Department officials said that as of Thursday there were 77 active COVID-19 infections among prisoners and 22 employees with active cases across the department. They added that 83% of prisoners have completed their initial round of vaccinations.

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