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Albany woman agrees to plea
Former prison guard accepts three misdemeanors, avoids felony charge
Kaitlyn Schulz
Kaitlyn Schulz

MADISON — A former prison guard was sentenced Monday in Dane County Circuit Court to 60 days in jail for three misdemeanors after charges of having sex with an inmate at Fitchburg-based Oakhill Correctional Institution were dropped.

Kaitlyn Schulz, 25, formerly Kaitlyn Reid, Albany, was scheduled to go to trial. However, Dane County Assistant District Attorney Allison Cogbill dismissed the felony in exchange for Schulz’s guilty plea to lesser charges.

Schulz was charged after an inmate reported that he and the guard had sex in an Oakhill staff bathroom twice in March 2016. 

The inmate also said the two had sex in August 2016, according to the criminal complaint. One incident occurred March 24, which according to the complaint, was Schulz’s birthday.

However, it was reported by the Wisconsin State Journal that Cogbill said in court Monday that she did not have enough evidence to prove there was sexual contact between Schulz and the inmate.

Schulz was hired as a correctional officer in January 2016. She was terminated in October 2016.

Previously, Schulz had been a mental health technician in Terra Haute, Indiana and a waitress at the Sugar River Inn, according to her LinkedIn page.

The dismissed sexual assault charge carried maximum penalties of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine upon conviction. 

With the three misdemeanor convictions, including lewd and lascivious behavior, disorderly conduct and violating state and county institution law, Schulz faced maximum penalties of nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine. Schulz’s attorney, Sarah Schmeiser, said the agreed upon sentence was appropriate and that Dane County Court Judge Nicholas McNamara understood her client’s youth was a factor.

“The judge acknowledged that she was very young, only 23 at the time, and in a position that was a little over her head,” Schmeiser said in a phone interview. “Another factor was that she has found new employment and is moving ahead with her life.” 

McNamara told Schulz to report to jail Sept. 4. Schulz had not served any time toward her sentence to date, Schmeiser said. 

Her sentence can be served with Huber privileges and in Green County upon agreement with the Green County Sherriff’s Department, according to online court records.