WISCONSIN — On Oct. 30, 2023, Tyshun Lemons was found dead at the Waupun Correctional Institution at the age of 24.
According to the Dodge County Medical Examiner, he overdosed on acetyl fentanyl, a potent opioid painkiller.
Levi Lord, Lemons’ brother, said his family wants answers.
“I sat in the park for about four hours [when I found out he died] and I was just lost,” said Lord.
Lemons was sentenced in 2015 to 13 years in prison after being convicted for party to armed robbery and reckless endangerment.
Lord was very close to his brother and said he never had an issue with drug use.
“He didn’t struggle with drugs, not that I knew of. He smoked a little weed here, but that was it,” said Lord.
Lord also served time at the Waupun prison. He said that he was there when Lemons arrived in 2015.
“I looked for him and seen him, I wasn’t tripping because I know how he is,” said Lord. “He don’t fear nothing, he can stand on his own.”
He said drugs were easy to come by in the Waupun prison, but he chose not to comment on that any further.
Stacey Johnson, who asked that Spectrum News use a fake name to protect her identity, worked at the Waupun prison for a year as a guard before quitting.
She said during her time working there she witnessed cellphones, drugs and weapons being smuggled into the prison by staff.
“I would like to say that it was harder for staff to get contraband in but it’s not,” said Johnson. “I would like to say that it is not a part of our leadership doing that, but it is.”
Johnson said people like to gossip and by the time she graduated from the academy, she knew who was smuggling drugs into the prison and who they were being sold to.
In March, federal investigators started looking into a suspected smuggling ring involving prison employees.
The federal investigation is still ongoing and has resulted in the suspension of nearly a dozen Waupun prison employees, including the warden.
Johnson said there were many times that people tried to inform the Department of Corrections (DOC) of what was happening in the prison and nothing was done.
“Should that all be put on a warden? No,” said Johnson. “I think the DOC needs to take responsibility in the matter and the state needs to take responsibility in the matter in understanding that even when these concerns are being brought up, nothing is being done.”
Lord said after being released in 2020, he was able to turn his life around.
Since being released, he said he has not had any problems with law enforcement. He also said he has a full-time job, was able to buy his own car and is even pursuing a degree.