Senator Bradley Unveils Bill to Hold Repeat Criminals Accountable

February 22, 2021

MADISON, Wis. — State Senator Julian Bradley, R–Franklin, and State Representative Joe Sanfelippo, R–New Berlin, unveiled a bill Wednesday to focus on holding convicted criminals accountable when they commit another crime.

"These policy initiatives are pure commonsense," Senator Bradley said. "When I learned that probation isn't immediately revoked when a criminal is charged with another crime or that an offender can violate their probation conditions and still qualify for expungement, it frankly blew my mind. I'm in favor of second chances, but we must ensure those who have already broken our laws aren't getting opportunity after opportunity to wreak havoc on our neighborhoods. The system isn't working, and we must ensure our laws put the safety of our families and communities first."

This bill, linked here, addresses the rising crime in Wisconsin by doing the following, which promote transparency and accountability in our corrections system:

  • Restricts expungement in specific ways:
    • Someone found guilty of a previous crime, even if it was expunged, would be ineligible for expungement because they have already proven they don't deserve the trust of their communities.
    • Any technical rule violation or breaking any probation condition would disqualify a criminal from being granted an expungement.
    • Expungement wouldn't be allowed to be granted until one full year after completing a sentence. This gives the criminal an incentive to continue acting in good behavior and show that they are worthy of expungement.
  • Requires that the Department of Corrections recommend revoking extended supervision, parole, or probation for someone who has been charged with a new crime while on release.