MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — At the Capitol, Republican lawmakers are disappointed with Governor Tony Evers on his plan to overhaul Wisconsin’s prison system.
State Senate President Mary Felzkowski says Evers moved forward without consulting them.
“He, on his own, went out and hired consultants and has ignored Democrats and Republicans inside this building who have wanted to come to the table and worked on corrections reform. He’s ignored everyone,” Felzkowski said.
Despite objections, Felzkowski and Republican Senator Andre Jacque voted yes Tuesday as the State Building Commission signed off on moving forward with a 15 million dollar planning budget. The complete project would shift lower risk inmates towards early release to focus on more serious offenders, close the state’s northern Wisconsin youth prisons in favor of a facility in southeast Wisconsin, and close the Green Bay prison.
The state’s aging prisons have been beset with a wide array of problems including deaths of incarcerated people and assaults against staff.
The entire reform plan would take six years to complete with a projected cost of about $1 billion.