APNewsBreak: Life to improve for some Wis. inmates

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Life is about to get better for some of the most dangerous and worst-behaving prisoners in Wisconsin.

To settle lawsuits filed by inmates, state officials have agreed to make changes to the segregation unit at the maximum-security Waupun Correctional Institution to make it easier for them to sleep, exercise and communicate.

According to settlements signed last month and obtained by The Associated Press, new windows, dimmer lights, more toiletries and even Hacky Sacks are on the way for the 180 inmates housed there. The state is also paying more than $113,000 to two inmates and their attorneys.

The inmates had argued the cells were so isolating and harsh they violated the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and worsened their mental illnesses.