Wisconsin Corrections Reform & Reinvestment Initiative

Governor Evers, Secretary Carr and I were interviewed on my criminal justice reform legislative package in the Governor’s office in early January.

On January 9th, I introduced the Wisconsin Corrections Reform & Reinvestment Initiative. The reforms address non-criminal revocations, Wisconsin's earned release system, and changes to community supervision.

Criminal justice reform has become a national, bi-partisan issue, with both federal and state-led initiatives in approximately 45 states to address rising prison populations, costs, and to avoid the massive costs of constructing new prison facilities, while also maintaining public safety.

With a growing and already overcrowded prison may cost $300 million to build and tens of millions each year to staff.  Reform can save money while also keeping us safe.  I make the case for reform.

Each bill follows the same framework: Reform-Report-Reinvest. Each bill includes statutory reforms to safely reduce the prison population, increased reporting and data collection, and the reinvestment of savings into proven recidivism reducing programming.

LRB 4355- Vocational Earned Release, uses existing eligibility procedures but expands programs beyond AODA (alcohol and other drug abuse) to include vocational, educational, and recidivism reduction programs. Non-violent individuals would also be able to earn early release if the judge finds them eligible.

LRB 4356- Short Term Sanction Reform, targets revocations that are based on non-criminal violations of supervision. LRB 4356 places a maximum of 30 days of incarceration for non-criminal violation.

LRB 4357- Success on Supervision, creates a compliance credit for individuals that succeed on supervision, caps the amount of Extended Supervision on certain crimes, and allows individuals to be discharged early if they complete all requirements. 

These policies are based on the experiences of several states.  I’ve identified these seven states that have recently enacted very similar legislation. In 6 of the 7 states, the crime rate has been reduced since enactment. 

Thank you to those who have reached out to me regarding criminal justice reform. It is a topic I have been working on since I was elected to office, and it is a topic I will continue to fight for. 

To read the Wisconsin State Journal article, please click HERE. 

To read the WSAU article on my initiative, please click HERE. 

Joint Finance Committee Update

On January 16^th, The Joint Committee on Finance met to hold an executive session to vote certain bills out of committee. The meeting also included a §13.10, where the Agencies submit funding requests the Legislature has to approve before they monies can be dispersed for the appropriate programs. I will be sure to keep you all updated of any developments on Facebook and Twitter!

Legislative Surveys

During the fall of 2019, I knocked on doors with a legislative update that included an opinion survey to allow neighbors to write in with their positions and priorities. I received over 120 surveys and wrote back to each one personally. We will be sharing the survey results soon. Thank you for those of you who took the time to write to me and give your input. It helps me greatly in making decisions on your behalf in Madison.

Democratic Radio Address

Last week I was interviewed for the weekly Democratic radio address during which I discussed criminal justice reform in Wisconsin.

Last week, with the support of Governor Evers, I introduced a package of bills aimed at reforming our justice system, built from the experiences of other states, to safely reduce the prison population and reinvest the savings to reduce crime. 

To listen to the full radio address, please click HERE.

 Vaping Update

 Vaping is not allowed in indoor workplaces in Milwaukee. If you know of a business that would like signage, they can find a downloadable version here.

--> Please report any violations of indoor vaping in public places here.