Fifth inmate dies at Wisconsin prison as former warden pleads not guilty to misconduct charge

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The former warden at a maximum security prison in Wisconsin where multiple inmates have died over the last year is pleading not guilty to a misconduct charge. Five inmates have died at Waupun Correctional Institution since June 2023. The latest was found dead Monday. Prosecutors charged former Warden Randall Hepp with misconduct in office in June in connection with two of the deaths. He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. His attorney didn’t respond to a request for comment. Lawmakers are stepping up pressure on the state prison system. A Senate committee heard from the head of the state prison system at a hearing Tuesday near the Lincoln Hills juvenile prison, where a guard was killed in June.