(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine – a pair of politicians ending their terms – had a war of words this week over the costs associated with changes in the Wisconsin correctional system.
Evers first made an announcement that the costs to make changes he proposed in the state’s most recent budget would now cost $585 million instead of the $325 million price tag last year while Van Wanggaard swiped back calling Evers’ claims “revisionist history” stating that his administration underestimated the costs of his reform plan.
Van Wanggaard pointed to his words on the day Evers released his plan, stating “I’m not sure his numbers add up, both in terms of costs and numbers of inmates.”
“From the start, Evers’ proposal relied on reducing prison beds, releasing felons early, and shortening sentences,” Van Wanggaard said after Evers’ statements this week. “‘Shocked’ that Republicans didn’t go along with that scheme, he plowed ahead anyway. Last fall (not 20 months as Evers claimed), when Republicans agreed to release $15 million for planning his overhaul, he rejected a Republican alternative that would have right sized the prison system, cost less, and protected the community.”
Evers’ plan included converted Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools 500-bed medium- or minimum-custody institution for men, converting Stanley Correctional Institution to a maximum-security institution, converting John Burke Correctional Center in Waupun to a female institution, expanding capacity at Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center in Hobart, converting Waupun Correctional Institution into a medium-security institution and closing Green Bay Correctional Institution.
“The state’s outdated approach to criminal justice and corrections isn’t just dangerous; it’s expensive, too,” Evers said in a statement. “It’s an untenable and unsafe situation because Republican lawmakers have spent years rejecting data-driven policies that can help stabilize the prison population and keep us safe, refusing to build the necessary infrastructure to safely house that population, opposing hundreds of millions of dollars to expand mental and behavioral health service access, and failing to invest in ensuring people have the training and skills to be safe and successful when reentering our communities.”
Both lawmakers leave office without a future plan in place while pointing fingers at each other.
“For 8 years, this has been how Evers has operated,” Van Wanggaard said. “‘It’s not my fault I lied’ is his M.O. He does what he wants without regard to the Legislature, then blames the Legislature when his plan falls apart. Eight years in, and he hasn’t grown into the role. He can’t leave office soon enough.”