LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
WISCONSIN
612 W. Main Street, #200
Madison, WI 53703-4714
®
(608) 256-0827
lwvwi.org
March29,2017
To:SenateCommitteeonJudiciaryandPublicSafety
Re:SB52,SB53,SB54,SB55,SB59
TheLeagueofWomenVotersofWisconsinbelievestherearethreeimportantmeasuresinestablishingcriminal
sanctions.Societyisprotectedfromcriminalactsbydeterrence,incapacitationandreform.Wehaveajustice
systemwhosepurposeistoreviewcriminalactsbycitizensandtotakeappropriateactiontoprotectsocietyand
helppreventfurthercriminalacts.Thefinaldispositionoftheseactionsisinthehandsofjudges.Itisthedutyof
thejudgetoheartestimonyanddecideoncriminalsentencesonacase-by-casebasis.
Forthesereasonsweoffersupportoroppositiontosomeofthelegislationatthispublichearing.
SB52removesthethreeyearlimitontheamountoftimetheDepartmentofCorrectionsmayplacecertain
juvenilesintheSeriousJuvenileOffenderProgramandwhowouldbeheldinajuvenilecorrectionalfacility.This
suggestsanincreasedlimitintheyearsindetention.SB59increasestheoffensesforwhichajuvenilecanbe
placedintheSJOProgram,whichispredictedtoincreasethenumbersinjuvenilefacilities.Thestateof
WisconsinisstilldealingwiththeabuseproblemsthatoccurredatLincolnHillswithnosuretythatthese
problemswillallberesolvedinthenearfuture.Fortheprotectionofthosejuvenilesheldinconfinementwe
opposebothSB52andSB59.WesupporttheMissourisystemofjuvenilecorrectionsasreflectedin
AB102/SB70,whichwouldpatternthestate’sjuveniledetentionsintoregionalfacilitiesasissuccessfullydonein
Missouri.
SB53removestherequestforanexpungementorderatthetimeofsentencingandallowsapetitiontothe
courtoneyearaftersentenceservedandwithpaymentofafee.WesupportSB53whichwouldmoreeasily
allowcitizenstoexpungerecordsofjuvenileactions.
WeopposeSB55,becauseitsetsahighermandatoryminimumsentencethancurrentlegislation.Thisisan
unnecessaryandintrusiveprovisionandremovesevenmorediscretionfromjudgesintheirattempttoweigh
thefactorsthatwilldetermineajustandappropriatesentence.
Currently,theDepartmentofCorrectionsmaytakephysicalcustodyofapersononextendedsupervision,parole
orprobationifthepersonischargedwithacrime.WeopposeSB54becauseitrequiresarecommendationof
revocationbytheDOCifthathappens.WiththeWisconsinprisonpopulationontherise,removalofDOC
discretionhereissimilartoincreasingmandatorysentencing,thecontinuedexpansionofabloatedCorrections
budget.
ThankyoufortheopportunitytoexpressoursupportforSB53andtoexpressourconcernandoppositionto
SB52,SB54,SB55andSB59.