A study detailing which states have had the most DUIs in 2021 reveals the following facts about the state of Wisconsin:
You may be hearing the term Marsy’s Law more and more these days. What is Marsy’s Law? Marsy’s Law is an amendment to Article I, Section 9m, of the Wisconsin Constitution. Wisconsin was one of the latest states to approve the addition of Marsy’s Law to its State Constitution. The purpose of the law is to constitutionalize the rights of victims in criminal proceedings. However, Marsy’s Law is duplicative of many of the victim’s rights that already existed in Wisconsin law. It is also a threat to the rights of the accused for numerous reasons. One of the most serious of which allows alleged victims to deny providing evidence to the accused person (or the accused person’s lawyer). Victim rights advocates and defense attorneys agree that Marsy’s Law is a threat to justice.
When faced with drug charges, an experienced criminal defense team can help you identify alternative options to sentencing, such as drug treatment. There are Treatment Alternatives and Diversion programs offered in many Wisconsin counties. Treatment Alternatives and Diversion programs offer substance abuse treatment, with the aim of offenders avoiding jail and future drug related charges. Avoiding a prison sentence is now more crucial than ever, as prisons overcrowd and COVID-19 spreads throughout.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) has a $2.68 billion budget, which is the largest budget when compared to all other state agencies. Simultaneously however, Wisconsin prisons are overcrowded. According to the Badger Institute, there are approximately 20,000 incarcerated individuals living in “outdated and understaffed” prisons intended to house 17,600. There are numerous initiatives adopted by other states that Wisconsin should emulate in order to ease the issue of overcrowding. These initiatives include a data and definitions bill, expungement reform and sentence adjustment petitions. Aside from the grave problem of overcrowded prisons, community supervision poses as another area where criminal justice reform is necessary.
