Gov. Tony Evers at a press conference about his DOC budget proposal on Friday. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wants to dedicate over $325 million of the state budget to updating aging correctional facilities. The plan he laid out Friday would end with the closure of Green Bay Correctional Institution in 2029 and involves spending more than $40 million for policies meant to help stabilize the prison population.

Serious problems have plagued the state’s correctional facilities for many years, exacerbated by aging facilities that lack adequate space for the number of incarcerated people. 

While the state’s correctional facilities have the capacity to house 17,638 people, there are 23,074 people being held in facilities across the state. The total population is expected to grow to 24,000 people by the end of the biennium. 

Evers said Wisconsin needs to do the work to move its correctional operations into the 21st century and help ease some of the challenges. 

“Wisconsin spends more on corrections than most states, including all of our Midwest neighbors,” Evers said. “That’s because, unlike red and blue states across the country, Wisconsin has refused to move our approach to corrections into the 21st century. The bottom line is that this trajectory is not sustainable.” 

“We can address long-term staffing challenges, expand workforce training, implement evidence-based practices that reduce recidivism and save taxpayer dollars all while — most importantly — improving public safety,” Evers said. 

Evers said he was planning to speak with Republican lawmakers about the plan in the near future and called for their support.

On Tuesday evening, Evers will deliver his full budget address. After he submits his budget proposal to the Legislature, lawmakers will write their own version that will go to Evers for final approval. 

‘Stabilize’ population

The first part of Evers’ correctional plan focuses on “stabilizing” the state’s growing prison population through policy changes meant to help limit recidivism. 

“About 90% of the people incarcerated will be released back into our communities, so we must reduce the likelihood that people will commit another crime when they’re out in our communities,” Evers said. “Our work to prevent people from reoffending must start long before they ever leave our correctional institutions.” 

He proposes expanding access to workforce training and substance use treatment for people who have 48 months or less left in their sentences for nonviolent offenses. Evers said the programs will help support people to reenter the workforce once they are out of prison and to help people who are working to overcome drug and alcohol use disorders.

The changes to the Earned Release Program would help support about 2,500 people.

To support the policy changes, Evers also wants to dedicate $3.7 million in the budget to pay  progression for social workers and treatment specialists.

In addition, Evers’ budget proposal will include $8.9 million for expanding the Alternatives to Revocation Program, $1 million for community supervision regional coaches to help the high number of people with substance use recovery needs, $3.1 million to expand the number of community corrections supportive housing beds for people with hardships, $10.7 million for cost of living increases for the division of community corrections and reentry unit, $1.9 million for 13 new DOC positions and $9.6 million for pay progression and parity for probation and parole agents and correctional field supervisors.

Modernizing correctional facilities

The largest allocation in the plan would got to  the “domino” plan to update the state’s correctional facilities — a plan that ends in the closure of the Green Bay Correctional Institution by 2029.

“In order for my plan to work, several crucial steps must happen, and they must happen together,” Evers said.

“There cannot be delays or obstructions like we’ve seen with Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake,” he added. 

2017 Act 185 signed by Gov. Scott Walker, set a deadline to close the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth correctional facilities  in January 2021.  Evers later extended that to July 2021, but that deadline also passed and plans to close the facilities have continued to get pushed back. 

 Evers plan would convert the youth facilities into a 500-bed medium security facility for adult males.

Under the plan, a Type I facility would be completed in Dane County at the cost of $168 million to house 32 male and 8 female youths. 

The plan also calls for using $245.3 million to update Waupun Correctional Institution, the state’s oldest prison, built in 1851. Cell halls would be demolished and some areas of the prison would be remodeled to create vocational programming.

A new “vocational village” at Waupun would be modeled on efforts undertaken in Louisiana and Missouri. Under the plan, it would be prepared to open by 2031. 

The plan would also have Stanley Correctional Institution converted into a maximum security facility with the ability to “flex” as a medium security facility. 

Green Bay Correctional Facility would close by 2029 at a cost of $6.3 million. 

According to the Evers administration, the plan opts to close the Green Bay facility over the Waupun facility because there is local support for closing the Green Bay facility and because it will  cost less to update the Waupun facility. 

The plan also includes expanding Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center located in Outagamie County by 200 beds. Employees at the Green Bay facility would have the option of transferring to the Sanger Powers facility. 

In addition, John Burke Correctional Center would be converted from an adult male to an adult female facility with 300 beds.

“We need Republican lawmakers to get onboard with this plan,” Evers said. “There is not an alternative to my plan that is safer, faster and cheaper… My plan is the most cost effective for taxpayers. It’s the most efficient for alleviating the challenges facing our correctional institutions.” 

DOC Secretary Jared Hoy said during the press conference Evers’ plan is exciting because it is “a comprehensive and cohesive plan to address long standing issues within our correctional system while investing taxpayer dollars wisely.” 

“The effort comes down to safety in our institutions and our communities,” Hoy said.

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