Wisconsin Is Quietly Rewriting Who Gets a Second Chance — And Milwaukee Should Be Watching Closely
Gov. Tony Evers has revived a commutation process that sat dormant for two decades, reopening a path out of Wisconsin’s overcrowded prisons that disproportionately affects Black Milwaukeeans — while the Legislature and this fall’s governor’s race will decide whether the door stays open.
Sixteen Years Old and Sentenced to Life: What Wisconsin’s Commutation Hearings Ask Us About Redemption
Two of the twelve people up for commutation hearings this month were sentenced to life at 16 and 17. Milwaukee’s reentry housing network is racing to make sure redemption has somewhere to land.
Wisconsin Found $1.9 Million for Homeless Veterans. Two Cities Already Lost the Fight.
Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee approved $1.9 million for a new veteran-housing grant program benefiting Milwaukee, Janesville, and Madison nonprofits — a real win. But it arrived a year after facilities in Green Bay and Chippewa Falls already shut their doors.
Milwaukee’s Crime Numbers Are Actually Good News. Here’s Why Nobody’s Celebrating.
Milwaukee’s homicide rate is down 30% this year and city leaders are crediting relationship-driven prevention work over policing alone — with five Milwaukee-tied commutation hearings this month showing what happens when reform gets paired with results.
Twelve Names, One Board, and Wisconsin’s Quiet Test of Redemption
There’s a hearing happening in Madison on August 21 that most of the country will never hear about, and that’s exactly why UNJ is covering it. Wisconsin’s Commutation Advisory Board will convene to review twelve applications for commutation — a form of executive clemency that can shorten or modify a criminal sentence — with five […]
Wisconsin’s Commutation Board Gets Its First Real Test — And Milwaukee Is Watching
Five people with Milwaukee ties go before Wisconsin’s reestablished Commutation Advisory Board in August — the first real test of whether the state’s redemption machinery can actually move. Marcus Hart on what’s at stake beyond the hearing room.
Memphis Called It an Anti-Crime Task Force. It Became an ICE Operation. Milwaukee Should Take Notes.
A federal task force sold to Memphis as an anti-crime initiative quietly became a mechanism for mass immigration arrests, most without criminal convictions. Marcus Hart on why the “mission creep” playbook matters far beyond Memphis — and what accountability would actually require before it lands in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee’s Veterans Are Lining Up for Food. That’s Not a Local Story – It’s a National Warning Sign.
The Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin food pantry has gone from serving 150 veterans a week to nearly 400. As a combat veteran covering this from inside Milwaukee, I can tell you exactly what that number represents, and it isn’t just about groceries.
Milwaukee Has a Model That Actually Works for Veterans in the Justice System. So Why Isn’t It Bigger?
As Wisconsin’s prisons sit 5,000 people over capacity, Milwaukee County’s Veterans Treatment Court quietly proves that diversion works – for veterans and taxpayers alike. Marcus Hart, a combat veteran, makes the case for scaling it statewide.
Wisconsin’s Prisons Are 5,000 People Over Capacity. Milwaukee Is Paying the Price First.
A faith-based coalition rallied outside Wisconsin’s Department of Corrections this month over dangerous overcrowding — a crisis that hits Milwaukee’s most-incarcerated zip code hardest. Marcus Hart looks at what’s driving the numbers and what actual reform requires.