By George Hesselberg
The Wisconsin State Journal
MADISON — In a departure from state prisons policy, a medium-security inmate was granted a rare leave last month to attend his father’s funeral due to “extraordinary circumstances,” Department of Corrections officials confirmed.
The father of the inmate, Timothy C. Christ, was shot to death by a bank robber who had also killed a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper during a high-profile crime spree.
Department of Corrections policy allows for a private visitation following the death of a close family member or a visit with a terminally ill close family member, but only for inmates in minimum-security facilities. Christ is a medium-security inmate at Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution.
Thomas C. Christ, 59, of Wausaukee, was shot and killed by Steven Snyder on March 24 in what Marinette County authorities described as “an encounter with Snyder near Christ’s property in the town of Wausaukee.”
Christ was found dead next to his truck following Snyder’s robbery of a bank in Wausaukee.
Snyder also shot and killed trooper Trevor Casper, 21, who was on his first solo patrol. Snyder also died in the shootout.
Thomas Christ’s 31-year-old son, Timothy, is serving a 21-year sentence at Prairie Du Chien.
He pleaded no contest in 2013 to four felonies: homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and three counts of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, causing injury.
Corrections spokeswoman Joy Staab said “due to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Christ’s father and Mr. Christ’s record of absolute compliance while incarcerated, the DOC authorized Mr. Christ, a medium-security inmate, to attend his father’s funeral under direct supervision of DOC securitystaff.”
The DOC funeral policy, which states only minimum-security inmates are eligible for the “temporary release” privilege, requires a funeral visit to be attended only by the inmate and no more than three “close family members,” last no more than 60 minutes and conclude 30 minutes before the funeral, wake or memorial service or to begin 30 minutes after the service.
The visit is closely monitored and “may be terminated at any time the escorting staff believes there is a threat to the safety of the staff, inmate or public.”
Staab said information on how many such funeral requests are received from the system’s prison population was not readily available. However, 65 inmates attended funerals in 2014.
State prisons currently house about 22,000 inmates.
Thomas Christ’s funeral was March 31 at the Presbyterian Church in Wausaukee.
Two weeks earlier, on March 17, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals had upheld Christ’s 2013 conviction, denying a motion for re-sentencing.