http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/waukesha-county-restricts-jail-visitation-hours-k16sua1-170050296.html
Waukesha – Waukesha County Sheriff Dan Trawicki has discontinued visitation at the county jail on Monday through Thursday nights, affecting attorneys visiting their clients and the general public seeking to visit a jailed family member or friend.
Sheriff’s Inspector Eric Severson said the move was made as a cost-saving measure – one of several proposed for the 2013 budget that will help the department meet its tax levy target from the county executive. A three-month survey of visits shows that more than 50% of the time, there’s one or fewer visitors during that period, Severson told the Criminal Justice Collaborating Council on Monday.
Jail Administrator Michael Giese said because a clerical position was vacant – the person who greets the public, makes certain they have proper credentials and links up the video visitation – the department decided to keep it vacant rather than lay a new employee off.
Visitation effective at the start of this month is from 7:30 to 11 a.m. and 12:30 to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, visitation continues from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
“It’s going fine,” Giese said, adding that there have been no complaints so far.
The change in hours could be an inconvenience for attorneys who sometimes see their clients on the night before court hearings, especially when clients are delivered for appearances from state prisons. However, Severson said attorney-client visits may require better planning by attorneys or mean they’ll have to visit their clients in state correctional facilities.
