Town Hall Panelists

Town Hall Panelists​​

During this moderated session, the following guest panelists will discuss the opioid crisis and answer questions from attendees.

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Kevin A. Carr, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Corrections

Kevin A. Carr is the Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Kevin previously worked as the U.S. Marshal in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and was appointed to that position by President Barack Obama. Previously, he spent 30 years working in the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office where he held numerous positions including Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Inspector, and Inspector. As Inspector, Carr served as the second in charge of daily operations for the agency. He was instrumental in the creation of the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Council. 

Secretary Carr holds a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Management and an associate's degree in Criminal Justice from Concordia University. He has received post-graduate certificates from Harvard University, the FBI National Academy, and Northwestern University. 


Sarah Cooper, Administrator, Division of Adult Institutions

Sarah Cooper is the Administrator for the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI). She has gained extensive experience serving in multiple positions at DOC, including Warden, Deputy Warden, Corrections Program Supervisor, Corrections Unit Supervisor, Client Rights Facilitator and Correctional Officer. Sarah has worked at several institutions, including Green Bay, Waupun, Redgranite, Oshkosh, the Wisconsin Women’s Correctional System and the Department of Health Services’ Wisconsin Resource Center. Sarah has served in a number of leadership roles throughout our agency, and led a number of initiatives within DAI. She has also participated in a number of committees and workgroups, including the DAI Trauma Informed Care Committee, DAI Restricted Housing Committee and the Unified Corrections Coalition.  


Lisa Reible, Director, Office of Program Services 

Lisa Reible is the Director for the Office of Program Services in the Division of Adult Institutions. In this role, she provides guidance and leadership for all educational and treatment programs and initiatives within DAI facilities. Lisa has chaired the Earned Release Program Expansion Committee to aid the DOC’s efforts to expand substance use disorder treatment for individuals in the care of DAI. She began her career with DOC in 2006 as a substance use disorder treatment provider at Taycheedah Correctional Institution. She served as a Corrections Program Supervisor at Taycheedah Correctional Institution from 2016-2018, where she supervised the special management unit and Dual Diagnosis Program for women with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders. Prior to her current appointment, she served as the Reentry Project Manager for the DOC Reentry Unit.  

Lisa holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and an associate’s degree in Substance Abuse Counseling from Gateway Technical College. She is licensed as a Social Worker and Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor. 


​Maria Silao-Johnson, Superintendent, Winnebago Correctional Center 

Maria Silao-Johnson is currently the Center Superintendent of the Winnebago Correctional Center.  Prior to her appointment as a Center Superintendent in 2013, she served as a Reentry Unit Manager.  In addition, she has over 25 years of experience working all levels within the Criminal Justice System.  She has been a military police officer, a deputy sheriff, a correctional supervisor and is a certified US DOJ Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) auditor. 

Silao-Jonson currently serves on a number of Wisconsin Department of Corrections committees including Division of Adult Institutions (DAI) Field Training Officers Training Advisory Board (TAB), DAI Religious Practices Advisory Committee (RPAC), Wisconsin Correctional Center System (WCCS) PREA Compliance Committee and the Winnebago County Interagency Committee (WCIC).   


Julie Ustruck Wetzel, Superintendent, Milwaukee Women’s Correctional Center 

​Julie Ustruck Wetzel is currently the Corrections Center Superintendent of the Milwaukee Women’s Correctional Center, where she has served since 2019.  Ms. Ustruck Wetzel is a certified Agency Trainer, PREA Investigator, DOJ Certified PREA Auditor and serves on the DOC Administrative Rules Committee representing the Division of Adult Institutions. Ms. Ustruck Wetzel has been with the Department of Corrections since 1998 and has served as a Probation/Parole Agent in the Division of Community Corrections (DCC), Corrections Field Supervisor and Program and Policy Analyst Advanced for the Division of Juvenile Corrections (DJC).  


Becky Heth, Employment Program Manager 

Becky Heth is a licensed social worker with a Master of Social Work degree from University of Denver and a Bachelor of Social Work degree from University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. She has worked in the field of Corrections since 2009 and began in the role of Corrections Social Worker where she assisted individuals in preparing for release back into their community. In 2016 she transitioned to the role of Corrections Program Supervisor where she oversaw treatment, vocational education, reentry and records office programs. Most recently, she is the Employment Program Manager in WI DOC’s Office of the Secretary where she implements the Department’s vocational training initiatives to increase employment of clients and reduce recidivism.  


Josey Lopez, Corrections Services Supervisor, Division of Community Corrections

Joselyn López's career of over 22 years in community corrections spans from case manager for juveniles, counseling services for adults, and regional director of outpatient and residential services in the private sector, to managing community corrections services for the state of Wisconsin. Joselyn joined the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in 2010 as a Program and Policy Analyst where she developed evidence-based programming for clients and trained staff on evidence-based practices. In her current position as Corrections Services Supervisor, Joselyn continues her commitment to Evidence Based Practices through statewide oversight of community corrections programming, staff education, employment programming, and reentry initiatives. She is a trainer for Trauma Informed Care in the Criminal Justice System, the Intoxicated Driver Assessment, and Risk Reduction Strategies in community supervision. In addition, she chaired the Division of Community Corrections (DCC) Evidence Based Decision Making Committee, served as the DCC representative for Incarcerated Veterans Program Cross-Agency Committee and is currently the DCC Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.

Joselyn was appointed as Interstate Compact Administrator for the State of Wisconsin in June 2017. She is the Chair of the Wisconsin Interstate Adult Offender Supervision (IAOS) Board and the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS) National Training, Education and Public Relations Committee. She has been a member of the ICAOS Information Technology Committee since 2017 and the ICAOS Rules Committee since 2018.

Joselyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Marquette University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 


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