Revocations Impact Prison Populations Amid Lockdowns and Staffing Shortages

Monday, November 6th, 2023 -- 2:01 PM

(Bob Hague, WRN) With lockdowns and staffing shortages, Wisconsin state prisons are in the news.

Many people are incarcerated for revocations due to rule violations, not committing new crimes. That’s according to Ari Brown with Wisconsin Policy Forum which recently released a study.

“These revocations for rule violations were the leading cause for prison admissions in the state they were above 30% of prison admissions every year up until last year.”

John McCrae Jones is with ACLU Wisconsin. “Things like switching jobs without telling your DOC agent, borrowing money, opening a credit card or simply missing a meeting can get you sent back to prison. And none of which has anything to do with public safety.”

Brown with is with Wisconsin Policy Forum continued, “Basically in every year from 2000, the first year for which we found data, until 2020 these revocations for rule violations were the leading cause for prison admissions in the state. They were above 30% of prison admissions every year up until last year.”

Democrats in the Legislature have proposed a package of bills aimed at improving conditions for incarcerated individuals.

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