WISCONSIN PRISONS ARE BUSTING AT
THE SEAMS.
NEARLY 6,000 INMATES OVER
CAPACITY.
WITH POPULATION STEAD LEA ON THE
RISE.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE MOST
RECENT STATE BUDGET FUNDS A 14%
INCREASE IN STARTING PAY FOR
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS IN EFFORTS
TO FILL VACANCIES AMONG GUARDS.
ADD TO THAT WORK TO REPLACE THE
TROUBLED WISCONSIN YOUTH
PRISONS, AND IT'S A FULL PLATE
FOR THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS SECRETARY-DESIGNEE
KEVIN CARR.
WE TALKED WITH HIM AT HIS
OFFICE.
IN TERMS OF PRISON POPULATION,
WHAT BLAMES THE PRISON SYSTEM
OVER INMATE CAPACITY?
>> I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF
FACTORS THAT GO INTO OUR CURRENT
PRISON POPULATION.
MOST NOTABLY, THE CURRENT
SENTENCING STRUCTURE IN THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN, TRUTH IN
SENTENCING HAS PUT US IN A
POSITION WHERE MANY OF THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE CURRENTLY
SERVING 16 TEPSES IN PRISON
DON'T HAVE -- SENTENCES IN
PRISON DON'T HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR PAROLE, AND
THAT, I THINK, IS ONE OF THE
MORE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS THAT
HAS LED TO OUR INCREASED
POPULATION.
>> BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU
NEED MORE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS.
HOW MANY MORE?
>> WELL, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE
ABOUT 760 VACANCIES IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.
OUR OVERALL VACANCY RATE
INCLUDING MEDICAL STAFF,
TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS,
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND
SECURITY STAFF IS ABOUT 16%.
>> AND WHAT IS THAT NUMBER LIKE?
IS THAT A CRISIS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S
CERTAINLY A CHALLENGE FOR US
EVERY DAY.
I WOULD DESCRIBE IT NOT AS A
CRISIS BUT CERTAINLY A SERIOUS
SITUATION.
>> HOW WELL HAVE OVERALL RAISES
AND INCENTIVE PAY TO WORK AT THE
MAX SECURITY INSTITUTIONS WORKED
TO ATTRACT OFFICERS?
>> WELL, IT HAS WORKED IN OUR
OPINION VERY WELL TO ATTRACT NEW
OFFICERS IN THE DOOR.
WE CURRENTLY -- OUR LAST TWO
ACADEMY CLASSES HAVE HAD
APPROXIMATELY 70 INDIVIDUALS IN
THE CLASSES, AND THAT IS MORE
THAN THERE HAD BEEN FOR ANY OF
THE CLASSES IN THE PREVIOUS FEW
YEARS.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FOLKS
HAVE APPLIED TO WORK AT THE
MAXIMUM SECURITY INSTITUTIONS
THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE $5
ADD-ON.
>> IN TERMS OF OVERCROWDING AND
UNDERSTAFFING, HOW DANGEROUS
DOES IT MAKE FOR BOTH INMATES
AND STAFF?
>> IT CERTAINLY DOES MAKE THINGS
LESS SAFE TO HAVE STAFF
SHORTAGES, AND IT IMPACTS THE
ABILITY FOR US TO PROVIDE
SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING TO
THOSE WE CARE FOR OUR
FACILITIES, BUT I HAVE TO CREDIT
THE STAFF AT OUR FACILITIES, OUR
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND STAFF
THERE DO A TERRIFIC JOB UNDER
VERY TRY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A GREAT
INVESTMENT IN OUR STAFF MADE BY
THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET WHERE HE
PUT IN $36 MILLION OF NEW MONEY
TOWARDS PAYING THE WAGES OF
SECURITY STAFF AT OUR
FACILITIES, IT'S A STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT THERE'S
MORE WORK TO BE DONE IN THAT
AREA IN ORDER TO PAY OUR FOLKS
WHAT THEY DESERVE TO BE PAID.
>> ON THE ISSUE OF RISING
NUMBERS OF INMATES, SEVERAL
REPORTS FOCUS ON WHAT ADVOCATES
CALL CRIMELESS REVOCATION, THOSE
BEING REVOCATIONS WITH NO NEW
CONVICTIONS THAT REPRESENT MORE
THAN 35% OF ALL NEW PRISON
ADMISSIONS TO REDUCE THE NUMBERS
AS YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR EVERS SAID
HE WOULD LOOK AT POSSIBLY
HALTING REINCOURSE RANGE OF
MOTION FOR RULE VIOLATIONS.
HOW COMPLICATED COULD THAT BE?
>> WELL, IT IS COMPLICATED AND
FROM THE DAY THAT I WAS
APPOINTED AS THE SECRETARY OF
CORRECTIONS, MY VERY FIRST DAY
ON THE JOB, I TASKED MY DIVISION
OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS TO COME
UP WITH A PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT
SPECIFIC AREA OF CRIMELESS
REVOCATIONS AND HOW WE CAN DO
MUCH BETTER IN THAT AREA.
>> WOULD IT TAKE A DIFFERENT
KIND OF METHOD FOR REINTEGRATION
FOLLOWING PRISON -- YOU KNOW,
GETTING OUT OF PRISON?
>> WELL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
RE-ENTRY EFFORTS, I THINK, AND
THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT IN OUR
BUDGET ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR
RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS SUCH AS OUR
OPENING AVENUES FOR RE-ENTRY
SUCCESS PROGRAM AND JOB CENTERS
THAT ARE LOCATED IN OUR
FACILITIES THAT HELP MAKE THOSE
THAT WE CARE FOR IN OUR
FACILITIES READY TO BE EMPLOYED
UPON RELEASE FROM OUR
FACILITIES.
BUT I WOULD ALSO ADD, THE
GOVERNOR AND I BOTH BELIEVE VERY
STRONGLY THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO
HAVE THE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS
IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM, WE HAVE
TO PROVIDE MORE PROGRAMS AND
SUPPORTS FOR THOSE THAT ARE ON
SUPERVISION IN OUR COMMUNITIES,
NOT ONLY ON THE BACK END WHEN
THEY COME OUT OF OUR FACILITIES,
BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE
PROGRAMMING IN GENERAL IN MENTAL
HEALTH, DRUG TREATMENT AND JOB
TRAINING ON THE FRONT END THAT
WOULD KEEP PEOPLE FROM COMING IN
TO THE SYSTEM IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
>> IS THERE ANY WAY TO REDUCE
THE PRISON POPULATION BY 50%,
WHICH GOVERNOR EVERS SAYS HE IS
STILL COMMITTED TO?
>> WELL, THE GOVERNOR HAS NOT
SPECIFIC TOLD ME, KEVIN, HERE'S
THE KEYS, LET 50% OF THE PEOPLE
OUT, IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
TIME.
THE GOVERNOR AND I HAVE HAD MANY
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO
REDUCE THE PRISON POPULATION.
THE FIRST AND FOREMOST THING
THAT GOVERNOR EVERS HAS INSISTED
ON IS THAT WE KEEP PUBLIC SAFETY
FIRST AND FOUR MOST IN OUR
LINES.
ANY INMATE POPULATION REDUCTIONS
THAT WILL OCCUR WILL OCCUR IN A
VERY THOUGHTFUL MANNER.
>> WHAT IS THE STATUS OF WHEN
THOSE WILL CLOSE AND BE REPLACED
WITH THESE REGIONAL FACILITIES?
>> WELL, THERE WAS A TRAILER
BILL THAT WAS JUST PASS IN THE
BUDGET FOR ACT 185 THAT EXTENDED
THE DEADLINE TO JULY 1ST, 2021
AS TO WHEN IT WILL BE CLOSED.
WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING
THAT WE CAN TO MEET THAT
DEADLINE, BUT OF COURSE THE GHOF
GOVERNOR AND I ARE COMMITTED TO
CLOSING LINCOLN HILLS AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE AND WHEN WE HAVE
APPROPRIATE PLACES TO PLACE OUR
YOUTH.
>> IN THE OVERALL PRISON
POPULATIONS, HOW KERPING IS THE
INKRARS RANGE OF MOTION RATE --
PUTTING WISCONSIN SECOND IN THE
NATION FOR RACIAL DISPARITY?
>> IT'S VERY CONCERNING TO THE
GOVERNOR AND WE ARE LOOKING AT
WAYS THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE
LEVEL OF FAIRNESS FOR ALL
PERSONS IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN THAT ARE INVOLVED IN
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
>> ALL RIGHT.