(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A former employee of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department is reportedly preparing to sue the county, alleging life-threatening medical neglect during her brief incarceration — marking what could become the third major legal action over the jail’s ongoing failure to care for seriously ill inmates.
The 23-year-old woman, sentenced to 60 days for a second-offense OWI, has a rare and severe form of diabetes that requires constant blood sugar monitoring, carb tracking, and precise insulin dosing. Within days of entering the Kenosha County Detention Center on June 21, her condition spiraled into a crisis.
She was hospitalized on June 23 with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and placed in the ICU. Two more hospitalizations followed in just two weeks, as her blood glucose levels reportedly soared past 500, her continuous glucose monitor was removed, and she was denied proper insulin timing.
Her mother, who has helped manage the condition since childhood, said: “She needs to be punished for her DUI, but it should not cost her her life.”
Denied Monitoring, Denied Mercy
Despite the obvious and repeated danger to her health, the woman’s request to serve her sentence on electronic monitoring — under supervision at her mother’s home — was denied by the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office.
Her attorney also filed an emergency motion for sentence modification, requesting either house arrest or credit for time served. Judge Angelina Gabriele denied the motion.
The fact that she once worked for the Sheriff’s Department — and still received no compassion or support — has stunned many within the legal community.
“If they won’t care for one of their own, what chance does the average inmate have?” said one source familiar with the case.
Sheriff Refuses Comment Again
Like he has with all previous cases involving inmate medical complaints, Sheriff David Zoerner refused to comment when Kenosha County Eye reached out.
This case adds to a disturbing pattern: multiple inmates with serious health conditions, including epilepsy and cardiac disease, have reported being denied medications in custody this year. At least two lawsuits — Carr v. Zoerner and Estate of Reighnn T. Post-McNab v. Zoerner — are already active in federal court, both centered on alleged medical neglect. More appear to be on the way.
Despite growing public concern, Zoerner has remained silent.
Kerkman Passes Buck To Sheriff, Calls Complaints “Unfounded”
KCE also reached out to Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman for comment. On August 28, 2025, she responded with a statement that echoed the Sheriff’s talking points:
“I appreciate you taking time to share your concerns with me and the County Board. As you correctly point out, I do not administer the jail. That duty is the legal and constitutional responsibility of the Sheriff. The Sheriff’s Office relies upon trained medical professionals who have both the experience and the obligation to make sure reasonable medical decisions are made.
As you know, even if I had information, I could not comment on the private medical details of individuals in custody due to confidentiality and privacy laws, which makes responding to allegations you make and report on difficult, if not impossible. I am aware that at least two such recent allegations have been thoroughly reviewed by the Sheriff’s Office and determined to be unfounded.”
But members of the legal community tell KCE that response is naive at best.
“She appears to be gullible for accepting the Sheriff’s word that these complaints are ‘unfounded,’” one attorney said. “Maybe one or two of these cases could be chalked up to a mistake. But dozens? This is a crisis — and she’s pretending it doesn’t exist.”
Kerkman has the authority to seek change and ask the County Board to seek and approve a different medical provider. Not one county board supervisor replied to KCE’s request for comment.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye
Those Lives Are On the Sheriff — And Soon, Maybe Others To
Former Kenosha school board member and community organizer Kyle Flood didn’t mince words.
“Unfortunately, it is easy and common for politicians to ignore the needs of inmates, but one politician who is required to care for them is the Sheriff — and he isn’t doing his job,” Flood said. “I’ve been paying attention to reports of poor inmate medical attention since 2020, and it seems to have gotten worse under this Sheriff. I hope to see a bipartisan effort from County Board members looking into this very serious corruption of justice in our County.
“These are American lives, and shortfalls in medical care amount to unconstitutional, cruel and unusual punishment. As an activist and organizer, I’ll continue to do what I can to support those in our community who get fucked over by those with power. But if these issues aren’t fully resolved, it will cost the county millions of dollars and more lives could be needlessly lost. Those lives are on the Sheriff — but we’ve reached a point where our other County officials need to speak up, or it’s on them too.”
As lawsuits mount and more inmates come forward, critics say the County Executive and Sheriff alike may soon find themselves answering not just to the press — but to federal judges.
Kenosha County Eye will continue to investigate.
*Edited on 9/8/2025 at 12:26 p.m. to include comments from Mr. Flood
.
.
.
.
.
44 Responses
Sounds like just another Democrat piece of trash playing the victim.
If her diabetes was so “severe” she had NO BUSINESS DRINKING!
She almost died in jail because of the gross negligence of those who are paid to provide appropriate care. She is not playing the victim- She is, literally, a victim.
She’s not a victim LMAO she’s a criminal 🤣
she use to back the blue until she went blue in the face from no health support
What does this mean
That she was an idiot to commit a crime and had she not made poor life choices she’d have more sympathy.
Committed a crime huh? Where’s the grand jury indictment? Cute that Wisconsinites are to stupid to know that all governing bodies around them are corrupt.
So her diabetes is unaffected by alcohol?
Second Offende OWI she really must not care about her own health that she continues to drink. Maybe her mother should help her daughter seek treatment for her drinking problem. You’d be amazed at how one’s diabetes improves by eliminating alcohol.
The article says she has a rare type of diabetes (probably brittle type 1 diabetes) that would not be magically improved by eliminating alcohol. Honestly alcohol is not good for *anyone* and a DUI is a DUI regardless of whether the offender is diabetic or not. Just as every single inmate deserves (and is legally and ethically entitled to) proper care and treatment while incarcerated regardless of their condition.
Let’s not give the Sheriff a reason to feel emboldened to torture and neglect inmates by blaming the victim’s of their neglect and cruelty.
The Sheriff doesn’t hire the medical company. The Kenosha County Board is in charge of that. All the nurses and doctors have total control over any care given to the inmate. Take it up with the County Board with the incompetent company they chose to hire.
By Kevin’s and mom’s description the inmate has Type 1 diabetes. Given she’s continued to drink it’s apparent she has more than 1 disease.
She needs help or she will die or kill someone behind the wheel of her car
There is no compassion or empathy in our jails.
Nor should there be, THEY ARE CRIMINALS. Duh
What makes you think the charge was for alcohol? You can get a dui for anything now.
How about 3 OWI in 8 months and still be able to keep your supervisor job at the prison. What is going on at RCI, Racine Correctional needs to be back on the front page for corruption. Please everybody share your stories.
Is this the same jail the sheriff is in charge of? Somebody can work at the jail with 3 OWI? This does not sound correct, what’s the full story?
Regardless of the person in jail or the reason Wisconsin law makes it clear that sheriffs are responsible for the care of prisoners.
Wisc. Statutes 302.38(1): If a prisoner needs medical or hospital care or is intoxicated or incapacitated by alcohol or another drug the sheriff, superintendent or other keeper of the jail or house of correction shall provide appropriate care or treatment and may transfer the prisoner to a hospital or to an approved treatment facility under s. 51.45 (2) (b) and (c), making provision for the security of the prisoner.
Thank you for sharing this important story. Type 1 diabetes requires careful care and monitoring. Without a functioning pancreas, the proper amount of insulin is needed to stay alive.
Denying a type 1 diabetic proper care and medication is akin to attempted murder. I wish there was some way the Sheriff could feel what a blood sugar of 500 and DKA feels like. What is going on at this jail and with this Sheriff??
Mom says she needs to be punished for her DUI. 23 years old with 2 . Not good. Diabetes and drinking even worse.
Wake up no sympathy here
That is not the issue here.
The punishment for DUI is not death by neglect. I have no sympathy for the DUI punishment either, but denying an inmate lifesaving meds and care is sadistic.
Yeah the crime has no bearing. Inmates should still receive proper medical care. Its the law
Just like a baby in the womb.
It’s a constitutional right to receive medical care while in custody. Unless you know the mother personally you don’t have the right to comment on her. How do you know she didn’t try.
Dear Mr. Mathewson,
I commend you on your investigative fervor. These individuals should expect plenty more than just monetary suit. Violating Constitutional rights knowingly is nothing short of treason. Every politician mentioned above is corrupt. Why ask Sam Kerkman anything, she is a cheater and a liar. That’s a fact, I’ll provide you the receipts if you like. She wouldn’t know the constitution if it slapped her in the face. As for the corrupt sheriff of Kenosha County everything is dollar signs to him. Angelina ballerina the corrupt judge violated this young ladies constitutional rights in 3 very definitive ways. Bottomline, they all need to be imprisoned. These are not public servants, they’re treasonous piles. No worries the constitution will be adhered to and followed and these people will be out of their fake jobs.
I agree! Samantha Kerkman is NO different than her lying, jerk of an ex-husband, Judge Chad Kerkman. Frankly, they all deserve to live on a deserted island together–the Kerkmans, Zoerner, Binger and the rest of the corrupt politicians in SE Wisconsin. There has to be some prison oversight to help this woman in jail before she dies there.
Seems like a pattern in the Wisconsin corrections system.
https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2024/06/05/waupun-warden-eight-others-charged-with-crimes-over-inmate-deaths/
Listen, i agree that she has some issues she needs to address but saying you have no sympathy for being denied simple medical care is insane. I hope you or your loved ones never run into a situation like this. The jail is accountable for the well being of inmates and they failed numerous times
It seems like the sheriff’s department and some of these judges do not have any compassion or common sense. We have forgotten these people are human beings. We have more compassion for animals sometimes.
we all need to back the brown and blue. look, they are trying to protect us and they care about our HellTh?
Zoerner looks like he’s about to explode.
Stop eating !
Surprised zoerner with his big gut isn’t diabetic.
Judge Gabriele is a pos. She loves to ruin lives. It’s sickening she denied the motion. She needs to be investigated.
She denied the motion yet interesting enough a writ of Habeas corpus appeared and guess what it would’ve been filled too. Then all of a sudden the corrupt piles change there toon. All three of these rats and others have lots to answer for. I always say, “never interfere with an enemy when they’re destroying themselves”.
Maybe the Sheriff needed her insulin. Did you ever think of that? And he is more important in regard to our safety than some Bar Room Betty
Are you saying the sheriff needed her insulin because he’s obese and diabetic?
What the actual hell are you trying to say?? Idiot
Indeed. Her election was likely due to the multiple ethics violations of well known opponent John Ward, a lousy lawyer, which her showcase personality outshined…in full kleig light display since she started her career with former DA Jambois 30 years ago, then starting with grandstanding raids of the freeway porno joints. Notable she recently passed the upcoming Kanabay trial to Judge Meier after the former Democrat Asst DA attempted but failed to drop all charges, thanks to DA Solis intervention, who will now personally prosecute the case.
This is what happens when in an effort to cut costs—the Sheriff’s department ended the long standing medical contract held by KVNA and instead decided to use Naphcare and now apparently Vitalcore Health Strategies. They don’t care about the quality of healthcare—just about the $$. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/a-private-prison-health-care-company-accused-of-substandard-care-is-awarded-new-contract-in-illinois/
Talk with Kenosha County Board. They are in charge of hiring the medical company, not the Sheriff’s Dept.
County Employees have been commenting on stories for the past couple of years, about how the current administration is really tanking things. It’s only a matter of time before the deputies can’t take anymore of Professor Porkchop, the Brookside nurses walk out and the Highway Department plow drivers go elsewhere because of Kerkman, Tappa, Bogdala, and Billingsley.
Fewer and fewer people actually want to work. Even less people want to do these types of jobs. The county should be doing what they can to retain employees— instead, it’s year after year of bullshit, unless you’re one of the highest paid people in the county government, then they hire you at the top of the scale and increase the top at budget time.
As a former employee of the jail I will say they do what they can. I wish someone from the jail or sheriffs dept would give the public an idea of how the process goes. The jail is also not a hospital. They do not carry a bunch of different prescriptions. And allowing someone to bring prescriptions in from the outside is a liability as well. There are also MANY people who go to jail and get “incarceritis” and do whatever they can to go to the hospital or get any sort of special treatment. I would love to say “don’t go to jail and you won’t have that problem” but people make mistakes and their lives still matter. There has to be some sort of better process. I am not sure this persons situation. Were they able to post bond? Were they sitting a sentence? Anyone who has issues with the Sheriff’s dept or the jail should go to the board meetings and speak at citizen comments. That is how you are gonna get the boards attention and it’s a good time right before each department has to explain their budget for the next year…
David Zorner is a SLUM LORD and half the problem with this city.
Owns several homes in the city that are falling apart, often with drug addict tenants. I can say that because we moved after heroin addicts moved into his home on 39th Avenue.
Get him the fuck out.
And all these other goofy ass representatives.
The County Board are the only ones who have control over any medical companies hired. Talk to the County Board and the incompetent companies they have hired.
The nurses and doctors are the only ones who make the medical decisions for the inmates, officers do not. This is on the County Board and the medical staff THEY hired.