Here & Now

Fast Facts: Cutting the Prison Population

Frederica Freyberg:

We now continue to follow up on statements made on our program by the candidates for governor.

Marisa Wojcik:

Many of the democratic candidates for governor are proposing ways to reduce Wisconsin’s high prison population. Indeed at the current 23,440, it’s more than twice that of Minnesota’s. Mike McCabe recently told us how he would chip away at that number.

Mike McCabe:

We’ve simply got to stop using prison as a punishment for nonviolent offenses. So yes, I’ve come out in favor of full legalization of marijuana. What that would do is get us to that goal of cutting our prison population in half.

Marisa Wojcik:

For 2017, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections reports that 67% of the state’s inmates are made up of violent offenders, but 11% are made up of drug-related offenders. It’s not known how many were convicted strictly on marijuana offenses. California recently legalized marijuana. People who were convicted of a marijuana-related offense under the old law could seek to have their charge reduced or reversed based on the new law. Arrests for marijuana possession in Wisconsin have been on the rise. There were a total of 17,022 arrests related to possession in 2017, the highest the state has seen in the last five years. While an arrest related to marijuana doesn’t also mean a conviction or incarceration, having it on your record can make it difficult to get a job, find housing or anything related to a simple background check. Over all, Wisconsin falls in the middle of the pack compared to other states for the number of people in prisons. For these and other fast facts, visit wpt.org.