By Representative Dora E. Drake
Assembly District 11
Representative Dora E. Drake,
Assembly District 11
During my time at the Center for Self Sufficiency, we would host welcome home gatherings for people coming home from prison. One of the individuals I worked with, John, came to one of the gatherings where we presented duffel bags filled with necessary items, toiletries, and provided food and resources. But John was visibly irritated due to his visit with his probation officer prior to the event. John shared that one of his rules for supervision prevented him from writing, even though he was a published writer and writing was his sole resource for income at the time. I did not believe it for myself until he showed me his paperwork at that moment. John’s story is just one of multiple scenarios where people experience punitive measures versus rehabilitative opportunities to redeem themselves after they served their time in prison.
Over the last several years, there have been steps made in the right direction. One of the pieces of legislation that came out from the Legislative Council Study Committee on Increasing Offender Employment Opportunities is creating a one stop re-entry building where people will be supported and provided resources. Even though it passed the Assembly floor and is going through the Senate, there are several policies we need to push in order to address the mass incarceration in Wisconsin.
On March 7th, 2024, Wisconsin’s Day of Empathy was hosted by national and local stakeholders who provided a variety of workshops to educate legislators and the general public on supervision. As a panelist for the event and having the opportunity to speak with several individuals, here are but a few takeaways that I believe are paramount to moving the needle.
The first takeaway is acknowledging that supervision is another form of incarceration. When you appear before a judge and the judge delivers the verdict, the time you are sentenced for custody and supervision are both treated as incarceration due to our truth in sentencing laws. The second takeaway is providing incentives for individuals who are taking actions to improve their lives such as seeking employment or seeking mental health services. Many individuals remain on supervision for 5, 10 or even 20 years. If justice-impacted individuals are positively engaging in our communities, the data shows they are less likely to re-offend and our communities are safer. Therefore, we should have policies that grant time credited towards one’s supervision for individuals who are positively contributing to our communities.
We have family members that are still impacted by the justice system because of their loved one’s experiences who are on supervision. It’s time we address mass incarceration by having supervision reform in Wisconsin.