Gov. Jim Doyle's 2009-'11 budget proposal released Tuesday includes a program that would result in the premature release of inmates from the state's prisons.
The Criminal Justice Reform Initiative, aimed at reducing the budget of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, would also include the elimination of misdemeanor probation for certain nonviolent offenders.
Department of Corrections spokesperson John Dipko said specific figures are unknown at this stage, but the governor's budget ensures the Department of Corrections will continue to fulfill its mission of keeping Wisconsin safe, but in a more efficient and effective way.""
""I haven't seen the details, but the state is in a budget crisis, and if we can save a few dollars by monitoring nonviolent criminals in a cheaper way, we might have to do that,"" state Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, said.
State Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, said he supports the plan and believes laws regarding prison terms are too harsh. He said he would like to see reduction of sentences and an easier parole process for individuals who have proven they have been rehabilitated.
""It's not beneficial to society for people who have been rehabilitated to remain incarcerated,"" he said.
According to state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, Wisconsin incarcerates about twice as many people as Minnesota does, despite the fact that the states are similar in population and socioeconomic status.
Black said it costs the state up to $40,000 per year to incarcerate one prisoner.
""If we can safely help [prisoners] return to a productive life in society, we will be making a big dent in the state budget deficit,"" he said.
UW-Madison law professor Walter Dickey said that there is a historical precedent for early release in the state.
""Wisconsin has done it several times in the past when the overcrowding problem has been serious,"" he said.
Budget deficits have led other states, such as California and Arizona, to implement similar measures, raising some concerns over public safety.
According to Dickey, the public will remain safe as long as the Department of Corrections makes wise decisions about the prisoners they release early and there is adequate supervision of offenders.
