Wisconsin agrees to settlement with deaf inmates

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin will be paying three deaf inmates $15,000 each and will provide deaf and hard of hearing inmates with hearing aids going forward.

The Justice Department announced the details of a settlement with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

“Under the settlement agreement, WDOC will provide inmates with hearing disabilities appropriate auxiliary aids and services, such as sign language interpreters, video telephones, visual notification systems and hearing aids when necessary. WDOC must also make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices and procedures to accommodate inmates with disabilities, such as handcuffing in front to allow an individual who uses sign language to communicate, and allowing additional time for telephone calls that rely on an interpreter,” the DOJ said in a statement.

The settlement comes after a lawsuit that was filed by inmates at the Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center in Milwaukee, the Racine Correctional Institution, and the Taycheedah Correctional Facility near Fond du Lac. The three inmates said Wisconsin prison managers didn’t do anything to accommodate their disability.

“People with disabilities in Wisconsin deserve equal access, and that does not change when they are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory Haanstad. “Our office remains dedicated to supporting efforts to improve access and inclusion for everyone in Wisconsin.”

Wisconsin’s Department of Corrections is specifically agreeing to provide inmates with either hearing aids or cochlear processors, free of charge, as part of the settlement.

“This new policy will ensure that both staff and persons in our care know the resources available and that DOC can effectively serve persons in our care, including individuals with disabilities,” DOC Secretary Jared Hoy said.

It’s not clear just how many hearing aids Wisconsin’s prisons will need to order. Hoy did not say how many of the state’s 23,000 inmates are deaf or hard of hearing.