Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed overhaul of Wisconsin’s corrections system is a significant plan to address overcrowding, aging facilities, and improve rehabilitation. The plan, which involves a series of changes over the next several years, includes:
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Closure of Green Bay Correctional Institution: Constructed in 1898, this facility would close by 2029 at a cost of $6.3 million due to overcrowding, poor conditions, and staffing issues.
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Renovations and Conversions:
- Waupun Correctional Institution, the state’s oldest prison, would undergo a $245 million renovation to transform it into a vocational village designed to expand workforce training for inmates.
- Stanley Correctional Institution would be converted into a maximum-security facility for $8.8 million.
- John Burke Correctional Center would be converted into a 300-bed facility for women with minimal capital costs.
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Youth Prison Closure and Conversion:
- The state would close the troubled Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons by 2029, replacing them with a new facility in Dane County. The cost of this juvenile detention facility would be $130.7 million. The Lincoln Hills complex would then be converted into a 500-bed medium-security adult prison.
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Expansion of Earned Release Program: The plan proposes expanding the existing earned release program to make an additional 1,000 inmates eligible, focusing on nonviolent offenders with less than 48 months remaining on their sentences.
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Prison Bed Additions: To account for the loss of beds from the Green Bay closure, Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center would add 200 beds.
This plan is designed to improve the prison system while avoiding the construction of a new, $1.2 billion facility. The governor’s administration has not yet discussed the proposal with Republican lawmakers, but meetings are expected soon.
The overall aim is to address overcrowding, improve inmate conditions, and promote rehabilitation while reducing the reliance on new prison construction.