DODGE COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – Deputies say an inmate with Huber privileges in southcentral Wisconsin who never returned to jail after an approved medical visit has been arrested and is in custody.
A Facebook post from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office provided an update on Jennifer Petersen as well as information answering some questions raised by the public regarding Huber inmates.
Daughter of Wisconsin inmate who committed suicide files federal lawsuit against prison officials
On Wednesday afternoon deputies provided the information that Petersen had been arrested and is now back in custody as a result of a follow-up investigation. The investigation was done by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office in collaboration with the Milwaukee Police Department.
The Sheriff’s Office stated in its initial release that Petersen left the jail, presumably the Dodge County Detention Facility in Juneau, before midnight on February 3 and that her last confirmed sighting was in the parking lot of Marshfield Medical Center in Beaver Dam.
“As questions have been posed to the sheriff regarding this Huber walk-away, also known as an escape in the eyes of the law, we felt it important to share more details regarding what occurred in this case,” the Facebook post from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office began.
Wisconsin woman convicted for failing to pay IRS over $100K in payroll taxes
The post goes into detail about Petersen’s background, which can be read here, including her arrest in 2022 for the offense of possession of a firearm by a felon, her participation in a DOC earned release program, and an additional arrest.
The sheriff’s office takes these matters very seriously and when incidents like this occur, we do not just sit back and wait for these individuals to be arrested by chance or turn themselves in, we take action to investigate and hold them accountable for their actions. Huber work release is a privilege! We will enforce and do whatever we can to arrest people who violate this privilege quickly in Dodge County. As a result, they typically will face new charges of escape, a felony. We thank the public for the assistance we did receive in this case as we work toward the safety of our community and the accountability of those who violate our laws.
Dodge County Sheriff’s Office
No additional information was provided.
