Governor Tony Evers announced on April 3 the creation of a new commutation board, allowing Wisconsin prison inmates—including those serving life sentences—to apply for early release. The executive order marks the first time in 25 years that such an option is available, excluding only sex offenders and individuals convicted of certain crimes against children.
The change is significant because it effectively alters the state’s truth-in-sentencing law, which was designed to ensure that convicted individuals serve their full sentences without parole. The new process allows inmates who have served at least half their incarceration term or at least 20 years of a life sentence to seek commutation if they meet specific criteria.
Evers’ website lists offenses not eligible for commutation: sexual assault, physical abuse of a child, sexual exploitation or trafficking of a child, incest, and soliciting a child for prostitution. Murderers and others with violent convictions are not automatically excluded unless their crimes fall under these categories or involve registered sex offenses.
According to information provided by the governor’s office, applicants must be currently incarcerated with more than one year remaining on their sentence and have no unresolved charges or recent incidents of violent misconduct within five years. Judges can provide written feedback but do not have final authority; only the governor can grant commutations based on recommendations from the newly formed Commutation Advisory Board.
The Wisconsin State Public Defenders praised Evers’ move in a press release: “For the first time in a generation, thousands of Wisconsinites written off by the state’s legal system will have a clear path to returning home. The Wisconsin State Public Defenders (SPD) today commended Gov. Tony Evers for establishing a commutation board – a vital strike against the sentencing laws that have long fueled mass incarceration.”
They added: “Wisconsin has maintained one of the most rigid sentencing structures in the nation for nearly 30 years. The Truth in Sentencing laws that went into effect in 1999 created a system of punishment with no off-ramp, ignoring the possibility of rehabilitation and removing people from community support and treatment programs that are proven to reduce recidivism.”
Supporters say this new policy offers second chances and addresses concerns about systemic injustice linked to lengthy prison terms. Critics argue it undermines judicial decisions made under previous reforms intended to give certainty to victims’ families regarding sentence length.
As applications become available online and interest grows among inmates across Wisconsin’s correctional institutions, observers expect continued debate over how this change will affect public safety and justice outcomes.
