Wisconsin
Articles
06/10/2009 – The Capital Times: “Prison is Revolving Door for Mentally Ill, Who Don’t Get Needed Meds”, by Jessica VanEgeren
“The state is under a fast-approaching deadline to upgrade conditions for mentally ill inmates at Taycheedah, the state’s only female prison, in Fond du Lac. Among other things, correctional officers will no longer be allowed to hand out medication, a change that may well put pressure on the state to discontinue that practice in its male prisons as well.”
05/21/2009 – The Economist: “Prison Costs and Budget Cuts: No More Room, No More Money“
“Facing a $6.6 billion deficit this year, Wisconsin can hardly afford to expand its prison system further. On May 20th a special committee led by Lena Taylor, a state senator, presented draft bills to contain prison costs and improve safety. Jim Doyle, Wisconsin’s governor, has proposals of his own within the state budget, which must pass by June 30th.”
05/04/2009 – Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel:”Let’s Rethink Prisons“
“Wisconsin has a choice: It can continue to spend its prison dollars in a fashion that doesn’t do nearly enough to curtail the need for more prisons, or it can spend them to keep people out of prison – and do it without jeopardizing public safety, while saving tax dollars.”
04/24/2009 – Wisconsin Office of the Governor: “Governor Doyle Announces $30 Million Investment in Public Safety“
“Governor Jim Doyle today announced a $30 million investment of Recovery Act funds to protect public safety, avoid cuts to police service and reduce future corrections costs. Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds will be used to target youthful offenders, fight drug abuse and trafficking, and reduce the number of offenders entering the corrections system.”
04/22/2009 – Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel:”Reducing Recidivism”, by Steven Walters And Stacy Forster
“Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget has proposed releasing some inmates early, meaning as many as 1,000 criminals would be back on the streets, saving as much as $27 million over two years. Those savings are expected to be consumed by other increases in maintaining the state’s prison system, but costs would be even higher without releasing inmates early, officials say.”
04/22/2009 – Chicago Tribune: “Report: Cutting Prison Population Would Save $2B”, by Scott Bauer
“Wisconsin could save more than $2 billion and slow the growth of its prison population over the next decade with a series of sweeping policy changes, a report released Wednesday said.”
04/22/2009 – The Capital Times: “Prison Population, Corrections Budget Spike During Truth in Sentencing”, by Jessica VanEgeren
“Between 1999 and 2009, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ budget grew 71 percent, from $700 million to $1.2 billion, or an average of $50 million a year, according to information released earlier this month by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, a national organization funded in part through the U.S. Department of Justice.”
04/18/2009 – Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel:”Being Smarter About Who Goes to Prison“
“On Wednesday, the Council of State Governments Justice Center will present a report of policy options to the state Legislature’s Special Committee on Justice Reinvestment Oversight. Revocations, as the main driver of Wisconsin’s prison population, will most assuredly figure prominently in those options. If they don’t, they should.”
03/11/2009 – Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel:”Corrections Workers Back Doyle’s Early Release Plan”, by Patrick Marley
“Correctional officers say they support Gov. Jim Doyle’s plan to give early release to some low-risk inmates because of rising security concerns at the state’s overcrowded prisons.”
03/02/2009 – Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel: “State Prison Rate Quadrupled Since 1982, Report Says”, by Patrick Marley
“Wisconsin’s incarceration rate quadrupled over 25 years, rising faster than all but six other states, according to a report released Monday by the Pew Center on the States.”
01/28/2009 – Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel: “Doyle Says Large Deficit to Grow, Sacrifices to be Made”, by Patrick Marley and Stacy Forster
“The state’s record deficit is worse than earlier projections, and even top priorities – education, health care and aid to local governments – could face cuts, Gov. Jim Doyle said Wednesday.”
01/07/2009 – Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel: “Consultant Says Prison System Needs $1.2 Billion Upgrade”, by Steven Walters
“Consultants today recommended that the state spend more than $1.2 billion over the next decade to expand and update its prison system.
The consultants said that 8,920 new prison beds and 2,681 replacement beds for juveniles and adults will be needed.”
01/07/2009 – The Daily Reporter: “Legislature Tries to Get Out of Jail Construction: Sheriffs Warn Problem Will Not Go Away”, by Paul Synder
“There is nothing the state Legislature or any of its special committees can do to prevent jail construction, according to county sheriffs from around the state.
“If the population in this state continues to grow, you’ll always need to build new jails,” said Eau Claire County Sheriff Ron Cramer. “There is no silver bullet.”
But state Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, is going to look for one anyway. She is the chairwoman of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative Oversight Committee, a new committee that will first meet Monday to examine why Wisconsin’s prison population is growing and how the state can reduce recidivism and increase public safety.”
01/07/2009 – Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel: “Stiffer Penalties Cost Plenty”, by Patrick Marley and Ben Poston
“Penalizing third- and fourth-offense drunken drivers the way five-time offenders are now punished would cost the state $100 million or more a year, a new report shows.
Such a change would send nearly 3,000 additional offenders each year to the state’s already overcrowded prison system, boosting the Department of Corrections’ costs by $99 million to $145 million a year, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. And about $4.6 million more also would be needed each year to pay for additional judges, prosecutors and public defenders.”
Audio
05/06/2009 – Milwaukee Public Radio: “The Cost of Crime and Punishment”, by Susan Bence
“There’s going to be talk at the State Capitol today about how Wisconsin can slow the growth of its prison population.”
“A committee has been getting advice from outside Wisconsin, including from a national, nonpartisan group called the Council of State Governments Justice Center.”
01/13/2009 – Milwaukee Public Radio: “New Ideas Surfacing To Handle Overcrowded Prisons”, by Gil Halstead
“Wisconsin got a wake up call Monday about the need to deal with it’s prison overcrowding problem. The Special Committee on Justice Reinvestment Initiative Oversight is studying why the prison population is rising and find ways to avoid building new prisons, while protecting public safety at the same time. It’s getting help from the Council on State Governments, or CSG, that has begun a comprehensive study of what’s driving the prison overcrowding problem.”