(Racine County Sheriff’s Office)
RACINE, Wis. — A former corrections supervisor who once faced more than 800 years in prison for carrying on a sexual relationship with a prison inmate has pleaded guilty to five reduced charges in a deal struck with prosecutors Monday morning.
Jacqueline Heidt, 39, was originally charged in August 2022 with 22 felonies in case 2022CF1197, including 20 counts of second-degree sexual assault by correctional staff—each a Class C felony punishable by up to 40 years in prison. In total, Heidt faced more than 813 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
But on Monday, Heidt pleaded guilty to five significantly reduced charges: one count of fourth-degree sexual assault, a Class A misdemeanor, and four Class I felonies—two counts of misconduct in public office and two counts of delivering illegal articles to an inmate. All 20 Class C felony counts were dismissed. A second case filed earlier this year, 2025CF72, which included one Class H felony and one misdemeanor, was also dismissed in its entirety.
The plea deal slashed Heidt’s total potential prison exposure from more than 813 years to just 15 years and 9 months.
The agreement was negotiated between defense attorney Patrick Cafferty and Racine County Assistant District Attorney Dirk Jensen (D). Under its terms, the state will recommend incarceration, but will leave the length of the sentence up to the court. The defense is free to argue for a lesser or non-custodial sentence. Heidt remains free on bond.
(Wisconsin Department of Corrections)
The charges stem from a sexual relationship Heidt maintained with inmate Travis D. Jones while she was a unit manager at Racine Correctional Institution. According to the criminal complaint, Heidt had intercourse with Jones in her office multiple times per week, smuggled him a cell phone and nude photos, and became pregnant with his child before seeking a termination. She was married at the time. She is now divorced.
(Racine County Sheriff)
Heidt’s legal troubles deepened in 2023 while she was out on bail. She became romantically involved with another incarcerated man, Gutfolane Osborne, after his release from prison. The two rented a room at a Racine County motel, where Osborne was later arrested for allegedly choking and assaulting Heidt. Osborne was charged with strangulation, battery, and other crimes in case 2023CF1030. Heidt was listed as the victim.
Despite that new relationship and the violent incident that followed, prosecutors dismissed the bail jumping and disorderly conduct charges filed against Heidt in 2025CF72 as part of Monday’s plea deal.
Heidt is scheduled to be sentenced on September 2, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. in Racine County Circuit Court.
14 Responses
What’s the requirement to become a supervisor in the DOC? Show up for work for a week straight?
The requirement for DOC is to have a pulse.
Is the 800 year a typo or does our justice system punish cases like hers more harshly than the pedos and sex offenders?
That is a sex offense, inmates can’t consent.
She is a sex offender!
You’re probably a chomo yourself.
Women always get less time then men in sex cases, female teachers vs. male teachers, if this was a male in a female prison and did all of the same Heidt did, LIFE, that’s how much time a man would get!
Very true. The US national frenzy over sex crimes and the state/federal public database tracking (permanent scarlet letter stain) and harsh sentencing was started in the Clinton 90’s by Hillary Clinton and AG Janet (“Butch”) Reno with White males as their top political target, so that they could be tracked and controlled. The Bill Clinton Crime Bill was excellent in its overall effect, however, this Hildebeast & Butch added component produced a very unnecessary negative byproduct on young White men 18-30, many of whom were engaging in consensual sex, egged on by the female. In many cases, those ensnared have been unjustly ruined for life.
This woman very well deserves to get some time. She has ruined a lot of lives involved in this case. Not only has she put her children in a position to be ridiculed by their mother’s face being plastered all over the news. She has put co-workers in a position to where some lost their jobs and they shouldn’t have and now are so stressed out they cannot even come back to work. There were supervisors informed of what was happening and they did NOTHING. They should lose their jobs as well!
Just one more reason women don’t belong in the workplace
Wow, you are truly showing your ignorance.
You do know that this happens to men as well?
Burn the coal, pay the toll…
There a lot more going on in that place with many other guards and employees that place needs a little house cleaning,
Unfortunately, there are a few good ones but there are many bad ones that no one seems to want to do anything about.
And the bad ones take charge, and the good ones have no choice to turn their head, Because they need a paycheck and benefits.
Someone needs to do something with this place.