Dawanna Witt
Coverage of Dawanna Witt in the Nexus archive.
- Hennepin County sheriff threatened with federal charges over access to inmates
Federal officials are threatening criminal charges against Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt and Cook County, Illinois, Sheriff Tom Dart after they reportedly declined to give immigration agents access to inmates subject to deportation. According to the New York Times, these threats assert that failing to hand over sought-after inmates could lead to federal charges of witness tampering. Legal experts reported that the threatened charges would likely be difficult to prosecute.
- ICE Threatens Sheriffs In Chicago and Minneapolis With Prosecution Over Access to Inmates
ICE has issued warnings to sheriffs in Cook County, Ill., and Hennepin County, Minn., through letters delivered by federal agents in early July regarding access to inmates. Sheriffs Tom Dart and Dawanna S. Witt are the recipients of these threats of prosecution.
- HCSO paying thousands to send inmates away, jail staffing concerns spike
Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is understaffed at the detention center despite adding deputies, leading to the transfer of 45 inmates to other jails at a daily cost of $2,700. A staffing report recommends increasing detention deputies from 265 to 318 to address safety and operational issues. Sheriff Dawanna Witt and Commissioner Jeff Lunde emphasize the need for funding and action to resolve the staffing crisis.