{"id":155132,"date":"2026-04-13T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/?p=155132"},"modified":"2026-04-13T17:27:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T22:27:24","slug":"wisconsin-prison-commutations-are-back-what-incarcerated-people-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/2026\/04\/13\/wisconsin-prison-commutations-are-back-what-incarcerated-people-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Commutations are back. Here\u2019s what incarcerated people and their loved ones should know.","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gov. Tony Evers announced April 3 that he\u2019s reviving the state\u2019s commutation process, allowing Wisconsin prisoners to apply to have their sentences shortened for the first time in 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immediately, the news began echoing through the state&#8217;s prisons.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some people caught it on the 4 o\u2019clock TV news. Some got texts from excited family members and friends.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the news came questions. Who exactly will be eligible? How will the process work? How will people behind bars get the records they\u2019ll need to apply, especially those who don\u2019t have outside help?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without access to the open internet, it\u2019s notoriously hard to get reliable information in prison and even more so on a still-developing issue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Incarcerated people began calling and texting the people they trust on the outside, looking for answers. Several wrote to Wisconsin Watch reporters, sharing questions and reporting misinformation they\u2019d heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here at Wisconsin Watch, we\u2019ll be following this developing issue in the coming weeks and months.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a starting point, we asked advocates for incarcerated people what potential candidates for commutations most need to know right now. They told us they\u2019re still waiting for details, but they offered tips on how people can start preparing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are our sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Diego Rodriguez, coalition coordinator for Justice Forward Wisconsin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Beverly Walker, executive director of the Integrity Center and administrator of the commutations committee at WISDOM, a statewide network of faith-based organizations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Harm Venhuizen, government and public affairs specialist at the Wisconsin State Public Defenders Office.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How big a deal is this news?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last Wisconsin governor to commute sentences was Tommy Thompson, who issued seven commutations during his 14 years in office. Gov. Evers has granted more than 2,000 pardons since taking office in 2019. Pardons restore some rights but do not shorten a person\u2019s sentence. Currently, they are available only to Wisconsinities who have completed their sentence, including any required supervision.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walker, who leads WISDOM\u2019s commutations committee and worked with the governor&#8217;s office for three years on reviving the commutations process, called last week\u2019s announcement \u201clife-changing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPeople were excessively sentenced and they just deserve an opportunity to have freedom, if they\u2019ve done the work, to have a chance to come home,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rodriguez agrees. \u201cThis is huge news,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the time for people to celebrate because we can safely lessen our prison population in a way that can help promote community, promote family bonds.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wisconsin\u2019s prisons are <a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2024\/07\/datawatch-wisconsin-incarcerates-more-people-than-its-prisons-were-designed-to-hold\/\">over capacity<\/a>. As of April 3, <a href=\"http:\/\/doc.wi.gov\/DataResearch\/WeeklyPopulationReports\/fri_04_03_2026.pdf\">23,554 people were behind bars<\/a>, 32% more than the facilities were designed to hold. As Wisconsin Watch has reported, that crowding has combined with a shortage of correctional officers to <a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2023\/08\/waupun-correctional-institution-nightmare-lockdown\/\">create dangerous conditions<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, politicians on both sides of the aisle <a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinwatch.org\/2025\/02\/wisconsin-prison-evers-lincoln-hills-waupun-green-bay-correctional-institution\/\">want to close the 128-year-old Green Bay Correctional Institution<\/a>. If it closes, officials will need somewhere to send its more than 1,100 prisoners.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rodriguez said the members of Justice Forward Wisconsin, who belong to various Wisconsin groups that advocate for current and formerly incarcerated people, are working to gather as much information as they can for incarcerated people and their loved ones. They\u2019re looking for answers to the potential challenges that could keep people from applying, like if they can\u2019t afford to send mail or make photocopies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But overall, he said, \u201cthere\u2019s a general level of excitement and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Venhuizen of the Wisconsin State Public Defenders said in an email that \u201cestablishing this board provides hope that people who have done all the hard work of rehabilitation won\u2019t have to languish but can instead return to their families and communities.\u201d The process offers a much-needed \u201csecond look\u201d at convictions, he said, but it doesn\u2019t address the reasons so many Wisconsinites are in prison.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWisconsin\u2019s epidemic of over-incarceration is complex and deeply entrenched,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the individual level, it\u2019s going to be life-changing for the people who will receive commutations. At the system level, this is a step in the right direction, but it\u2019s not a cure-all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can incarcerated individuals and their loved ones learn more?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/content.govdelivery.com\/accounts\/WIGOV\/bulletins\/411672b\">Gov. Evers\u2019 press release<\/a> and the executive orders on <a href=\"https:\/\/content.govdelivery.com\/attachments\/WIGOV\/2026\/04\/03\/file_attachments\/3606531\/EO287-CommutationBoard2.pdf\">commutations<\/a> and on <a href=\"https:\/\/content.govdelivery.com\/attachments\/WIGOV\/2026\/04\/03\/file_attachments\/3606532\/EO288-JuvenileLifeSentenceCommutations.pdf\">commutations for people sentenced to life without parole as juveniles<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monitor the <a href=\"https:\/\/evers.wi.gov\/Pages\/CommutationInformation.aspx\">governor\u2019s office\u2019s commutations page<\/a> and read its frequently asked questions. Check back for announcements about who will be on the commutations board. \u201cThe governor\u2019s office is the best source of information on this topic right now,\u201d Venhuizen said.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Join <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/g\/1Cbd2BHqpm\/?mibextid=wwXIfr\">WISDOM Wisconsin\u2019s \u201cAdvocating for Commutations\u201d Facebook group<\/a> or check the page for announcements about future information sessions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What steps can incarcerated individuals take now if they\u2019re interested in applying for a commutation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cStart preparing now if you meet the initial eligibility criteria, as we expect this board to move quickly ahead of the gubernatorial election,\u201d Venhuizen said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He recommends the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Review the application requirements listed on the <a href=\"https:\/\/evers.wi.gov\/Pages\/CommutationInformation.aspx\">governor\u2019s commutations website<\/a> and begin compiling the required documents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start making plans with the people you\u2019d want to write letters of support for you.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Write a \u201cclear and compelling story of your growth and rehabilitation.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Draft a post-release plan that explains where you would live and work and what programs you would participate in.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those who are incarcerated and want help with the process, Rodriguez recommends contacting ProSay, an organization advocating for people on parole in Wisconsin, by messaging <a href=\"mailto:hello@weareprosay.org\">hello@weareprosay.org<\/a> through the GTL app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would say the biggest advice is to reach out to a group that is doing this work,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cThis work gets so much easier when you\u2019re involved in a community of other people that are doing it \u2026 And then keep asking questions until you get the answers that you need.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the first time in decades, Wisconsin prisoners will be able to apply to have their sentences commuted, Gov. Tony Evers announced. Wisconsin Watch talked to three experts about how prisoners and their families can learn more and prepare.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2169,"featured_media":155133,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"large","newspack_post_subtitle":"For the first time in decades, Wisconsin prisoners will be able to apply to have their sentences commuted, Gov. Tony Evers announced. Wisconsin Watch talked to three experts about how prisoners and their families can learn more and prepare.","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","republication-tracker-tool-hide-widget":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[181,5915],"tags":[9966,10010,3000,9982,3646,3894],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[10011,10192],"class_list":["post-155132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-criminal-justice","tag-news","tag-prison-problems","tag-prisons","tag-statehouse","tag-tony-evers","tag-wisconsin-watch","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What incarcerated people should know about commutations in Wisconsin<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wisconsin prisoners will be able to apply to have their sentences commuted. 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Tony Evers\u2019 $325 million budget proposal, but Republicans have yet to detail their own vision for fixing a broken system.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Criminal justice&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Criminal justice","link":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/category\/news\/community\/criminal-justice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wooden sign with yellow lettering reads \"Green Bay Correctional Institution\" beside a smaller \"No trespassing\" sign, surrounded by green shrubs and trees under a blue sky.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseGreen-Bay-Correctional-Institution.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseGreen-Bay-Correctional-Institution.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseGreen-Bay-Correctional-Institution.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseGreen-Bay-Correctional-Institution.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/asseGreen-Bay-Correctional-Institution.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":157910,"url":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/2026\/05\/03\/wisconsin-governor-evers-commutations-prison-election-candidates-democrat-republican\/","url_meta":{"origin":155132,"position":3},"title":"Tony Evers revived commutations, but what will Wisconsin\u2019s next governor do?","author":"Brittany Carloni \/ Wisconsin Watch","date":"May 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Mandela Barnes was the only Democrat who, when initially asked, split from the governor\u2019s executive order allowing commutations for murder convictions.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Criminal justice&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Criminal justice","link":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/category\/news\/community\/criminal-justice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Metal fence in foreground with view of a tan brick building topped with guard towers, barred windows and fencing lined with razor wire under an overcast sky","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Waupun.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Waupun.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Waupun.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Waupun.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Waupun.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":117258,"url":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/2025\/07\/01\/milwaukees-juvenile-prison-on-track-for-2026-completion\/","url_meta":{"origin":155132,"position":4},"title":"Milwaukee\u2019s juvenile prison on track for 2026 completion","author":"Devin Blake","date":"July 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"State officials expect construction of the juvenile prison on the Northwest Side to be completed in summer 2026. 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But critics question whether people convicted of serious violent crimes should ever be released early.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Criminal justice&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Criminal justice","link":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/category\/news\/community\/criminal-justice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/55282871665_4a64f51628_o.jpg?fit=1200%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/55282871665_4a64f51628_o.jpg?fit=1200%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/55282871665_4a64f51628_o.jpg?fit=1200%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/55282871665_4a64f51628_o.jpg?fit=1200%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/55282871665_4a64f51628_o.jpg?fit=1200%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155132"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":155172,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155132\/revisions\/155172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155132"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=155132"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=155132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}