A Unit Manager at Racine Correctional Institution who reported to the Deputy Warden was in court today for her initial appearance. She was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s office with 20 counts of 2nd Degree Sexual assault by Correctional Staff, one count of Delivering Illegal Articles to an Inmate and one county of Misconduct in Public Office/Excess Authority – all felonies. This is 19 felonies short of what Racine County Sheriff’s investigators asked for. We asked DA Patricia Hansen to explain and she refused comment. Even withstanding, Heidt faces 807 years in the Wisconsin State Prison system if convicted of all counts.
Allegations
In the 7-page criminal complaint, the more-than-five-month affair between Heidt and an inmate are detailed:
The internal affairs unit at the prison contacted the Racine County Sheriff’s office on August 24, 2022 to ask for an investigation about an in appropriate relationship between a high-ranking Unit Manager, Jacqueline Heidt, and an inmate. The inmate is identified as Travis D Jones, who is serving 45 years for kidnapping an 18-year-old girl from a bus stop and raping her. DNA evidence linked Jones to the rape. He and Heidt began a sexual relationship on or about March 4, 2022. The allegations apparently surfaced when Jones overdosed on drugs given to him by Heidt. A cell phone was found on his person at the hospital that Heidt smuggled into the jail for him. It allegedly contained nude photos of Heidt. There were conversations between Jones and Heidt in the phone. Heidt even told the inmate that she wanted to have his baby and got pregnant with his child. She sent him photos of her children also and told him their names. Heidt’s husband would later tell police she “went to a clinic for a medical procedure that stopped the pregnancy.” KCE thinks this is a strange way of saying “she had an abortion.” The inmate told investigators about the sexual contact. They had sexual intercourse 3-4 times a week (more than 20 times, but less that 40) in her office. She performed oral sex on him about 15 times, and he performed oral sex on her about two times. The inmate was very clear that the sexual contact was all consensual, although Wisconsin Statutes don’t allow consensual sex between a corrections employee and inmate. Prison staff had also obtained sexual recorded phone conversations between the two. Investigators asked Jones if he knew of any tattoos or birthmarks that could prove that he’s seen her naked. He told investigators that she had a birthmark between her butt cheeks about the size of a 50 cent piece and larger than normal nipples. Heidt denied having either, but this was confirmed by her husband and investigators obtained a warrant to view the area between her butt cheeks and her nipples. When police looked, they confirmed what the inmate had told them. Heidt initially denied the allegations to police, but later invoked her right to remain silent when confronted by the evidence.
In court today Racine County ADA Kelly Larsen asked Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch for a $200,000 cash bail. Heidt’s Attorney, Patrick Cafferty asked for a $5,000 cash bond telling the court that the sexual contact alleged was consensual and that Heidt doesn’t represent a flight risk and isn’t a danger to the public. She and her husband own a home and have four children. Cafferty told the court that Heidt was terminated by the Department of Corrections, but a D.O.C. spokesman told KCE that she is still on leave.
She will be in court again on September 21, 2022 at 9am for a preliminary hearing. You can watch today’s court appearance below.
15 Responses
While reading some of the details, the name Mary Kay Letourneau came to mind.
Imagine having a search warrant to open your butt cheeks and looking at your nipples?
With a name like mr boner, I have to imagine you have that done to you all the time without a warrant…..
Well that wasn’t hard to figure out who TDJ is by looking at the DOC website. What an ugly dude! And he has 2nd degree assault charges and doesn’t even get released until 2059! What a dumb broad.
This almost sounds like a continuous offense! The number of counts really doesn’t matter much as nobody is going to be sentenced to hundreds of years for something like this (nor should they). She’s not the first corrections employee to do this shit and probably won’t be the last. At least it was by all accounts consensual (which doesn’t make it right but at least less aggravated).
Mental health is a big deal. And she sounds like a problem.
A married D.O.C. officer having a sexual relationship with a piece of shit inmate convicted of kidnapping and raping a 18 year old…..
How fucking stupid is this piece of brainless trash?
I’m surprised Alice Rudebusch didn’t give her a signature bond and an apology. Ole Alice is responsible for a lot of the criminals in Racine being out on the street, and her brainless bond decisions cost one woman an arm and a leg…..literally.
Stupid woman.
5k bond for TWENTY ONE felonies (that was initially forty two)? Damn!
I used to work with this piece of shit. Stop fucking the inmates DOC employees. I know a few who have and never got caught.
I was once an inmate there when this took place…as crazy as it seems, what people are ignorant to is the fact that she’s human, with this being recognized she has needs/desires that apparently weren’t being fulfilled at home. The opportunity presented itself and it was risky, insane, and stupid on her part, but she felt abandoned obviously at home and this guy gave her the attention she was yearning…does it make it right? Of course NOT! However, I truly wish I was that guy while I was there…an inmate’s wishful dream to have a relationship with a staff member.