Deputy Secretary Jared Hoy elevated to lead Wisconsin Department of Corrections

MADISON - The deputy secretary of the Department of Corrections is stepping up to lead the agency, after being appointed by Gov. Tony Evers.

Jared Hoy will fill the position vacated by the former secretary Kevin Carr, who stepped down in March.

Hoy has worked in the department since 2007, when he was hired as a corrections field supervisor, according to a Friday release from Evers. He's held many positions within the DOC since, including program and policy chief, policy initiatives advisor, training director, and assistant administrator and administrator of the Division of Management Services.

He has served as deputy secretary since 2021.

“There is no more noble calling than maintaining community safety by caring for justice-involved individuals. It is why I have devoted my entire career to public service as a corrections practitioner," Hoy said in the release.

"The synchronous pursuit of protecting our communities by providing rehabilitation and second chances is what calls so many of us to this work, myself included. I’m equally proud of the work our dedicated staff do every day in the continuance of this mission and humbled to be given the opportunity to further our agency’s standing as an established leader in the field of corrections.”

Hoy received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the College of St. Scholastica and a master's degree in community counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Former Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr stepped down from the agency in March, at a somewhat contentious moment for the department.

Over the past year, several institutions such as the Green Bay Correctional Institution and Waupun Correctional Institution have been under unending lockdowns, limiting the movements of those incarcerated, depriving them of recreational time and requiring them to take meals inside their cells.

At Green Bay, there have been chronic issues with rodents, which some incarcerated individuals say force their way under the doors of those housed at the facility at night.

At Waupun, there have been three in-custody deaths.

In June, Dean Hoffmann, 60, died by suicide while in solitary confinement. When family questioned his death, and asked if his mental health concerns had been cared for adequately. The family last month filed a lawsuit against the department, alleging his civil rights were violated in the months leading up to his death.

In October, the Journal Sentinel reported a second and third death at the prison. The cause and manner of their deaths are still under investigation.

Carr remained largely quiet on the issues, refusing for months to speak to the press directly, despite a past history of openness.

Evers has floated the idea of an independent investigation into the deaths, after the department completes its internal investigations, but nothing has yet been announced.

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Deputy Secretary Jared Hoy elevated to lead Department of Corrections