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Abele names interim superintendent for House of Correction

By: Beth Kevit, [email protected]//March 1, 2013//

Abele names interim superintendent for House of Correction

By: Beth Kevit, [email protected]//March 1, 2013//

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Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele has named Michael Hafemann, former head of management and operations for the Sauk County Sheriff’s Department security and jail division, as interim superintendent of the House of Correction in Franklin.

Hafemann will work under a personal services contract until resolution of a lawsuit Sheriff David Clarke Jr. filed in December to retain control over the HOC. Clarke, who has overseen the HOC since 2009, argues in the lawsuit that he has constitutional authority to oversee the HOC.

Milwaukee County’s Board of Supervisors amended the 2013 budget to include a provision transferring control from Clarke to a superintendent April 1.

One of the reasons the supervisors have said they want to strip Clarke of his control of the HOC is his reluctance to use electronic monitoring. The county had about 200 inmates on electronic monitoring about six months ago, Abele said, but currently has zero.

Hafemann said he is a proponent of electronic monitoring and plans to use it at the HOC, though he couldn’t say whether he would place 200 inmates in the program.

“You don’t pick a particular number. It’s going to be the inmates who qualify,” he said. “Quite frankly, there’s some inmates who shouldn’t go out on the program.”

Clarke’s lawsuit is pending before Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Paul Van Grunsven and not likely to be resolved before April 1.

Abele said he hired Hafemann despite the ongoing suit so that the transition of power can happen as soon as possible.

“I don’t have the liberty to roll the dice,” Abele said, “and take the chance that, if things move quickly, we aren’t prepared.”

The supervisors will hold a special meeting March 12 to vote on delaying the April 1 deadline for transferring power away from Clarke. The delay would allow time to resolve the lawsuit before power is transferred.

Supervisor Mark Borkowski, chair of the Judiciary, Safety and General Services Committee, said that vote will still be held even though Hafemann has been hired. He said Hafemann won’t be brought down to the board for confirmation as superintendent until the HOC transition is assured.

Brendan Conway, Abele’s director of communications, said the sheriff’s department is restricting access to the HOC, so it’s unclear when Hafemann can visit the facility.

Hafemann said he was looking forward to working with Clarke, though he hasn’t met him yet.

“I wasn’t put in this position to challenge him,” he said, “or challenge his authority.”

Fran McLaughlin, Clarke’s spokeswoman, referred a request for comment to the sheriff’s attorney, Michael Whitcomb. Whitcomb wouldn’t comment on why Hafemann’s access to the HOC is restricted or when he might get inside the building.

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