Hunger Strike Protest Continues In Wisconsin Prisons

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A handful of Wisconsin inmates still won't eat in hopes of forcing an end to long-term solitary confinement.

The Industrial Workers of the World, a labor union promoting the strike, has said seven inmates spread between the prisons in Waupun and Portage stopped eating June 10. The union issued a news release Saturday saying the prisoners are still refusing to eat. One of the Waupun inmates, Cesar DeLeon, also has stopped drinking out of concerns the prison's water is contaminated with copper and lead.

Department of Corrections spokesman Tristan Cook said in an email to The Associated Press on Monday that he couldn't comment on inmate's health conditions due to medical privacy laws but said the agency would take "appropriate measures" to ensure an inmate's health.