Wisconsin DOC Releases 1,700 Private Health Records by Mistake
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) announced on November 7, 2025 that the private health records of more than 1,700 prisoners and former prisoners had been mistakenly shared. The data breach, which the DOC claimed was done “in error,” was discovered through a public records request, according to a local ABC affiliate. Information that was released included the names of all individuals evaluated by the DOC’s Bureau of Health Services as well as mental health diagnoses and diagnostic test scores.
Releasing protected health information is a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or, as it’s more commonly known, HIPPA. The DOC is notifying the impacted individuals and reporting the incident to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In an unrelated incident in Florida, potentially hundreds of individuals who applied to visit prisoners at the Everglades Correction Institute (ECI) in Miami-Dade County had their personal contact information shared with every prisoner locked up at the facility. The incident occurred in July 2025, when a prison employee sent the information via an email that prisoners could access through kiosks or tablets. As part of a policy first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals who plan to visit a Florida prison must fill out a visitation scheduling form for each visit, which asks for personal information despite the fact individuals are required to be pre-approved by the DOC.
Sources: WBAY, Florida Phoenix
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login