Overcrowding is particularly extreme in Wisconsin’s women’s prisons, two of which hold more than twice as many people as they were designed for. A new Wisconsin Watch tool, updated weekly, shows the population approaching the 2019 record.
Prison Problems
Posted inCriminal justice
Tony Evers revived commutations, but what will Wisconsin’s next governor do?
Mandela Barnes was the only Democrat who, when initially asked, split from the governor’s executive order allowing commutations for murder convictions.
Posted inCommunity, Criminal justice
Commutations are back. Here’s what incarcerated people and their loved ones should know.
For the first time in decades, Wisconsin prisoners will be able to apply to have their sentences commuted, Gov. Tony Evers announced. Wisconsin Watch talked to three experts about how prisoners and their families can learn more and prepare.
Posted inCriminal justice
A century after pioneering work release, Wisconsin corrections officials don’t track how many prisoners participate
Wisconsin was the first state to let some incarcerated people work in the community, allowing them to save money and pay for room and board. Today, prisoners say there aren’t nearly enough of these jobs to go around, and prison officials say they don’t keep count.
Posted inCriminal justice, Government
Wisconsin Republicans mum on prison plans heading into key vote on moving projects forward
The GOP rejected Gov. Tony Evers’ $325 million budget proposal, but Republicans have yet to detail their own vision for fixing a broken system.
Posted inCriminal justice
Wisconsin rarely grants compassionate release as aging, ailing prisoners stress systems
Increased use of compassionate release could ease costs and crowding with minimal risks to public safety, experts say. But it remains off limits to many prisoners.
Posted inCriminal justice
‘Band-Aid on the problem’: Past raises haven’t fully solved Wisconsin prison staffing problems
Following initial progress, staffing vacancies are again rising in Wisconsin prisons. Improving training, safety and workplace culture would help retain officers, some say.
Posted inAsk Wisconsin Watch, Criminal justice
Why is Wisconsin’s prison system such a ‘mess,’ and what can be done to fix it?
Deteriorating prisons, truth-in-sentencing, Act 10: Reasons for problems abound, while solutions remain elusive.