Criminal Legal Reform

We work to reverse the tide of mass incarceration, advance constitutional rights, shift power to under-resourced communities, and elevate approaches to justice and safety that advance fundamental freedoms for all.

Collage of fist, protest, and police

What you need to know

23,032 people are incarcerated

in Wisconsin, as of February 2025.

63,200 people are on probation or parole

and cannot vote until they are "off paper."

52 municipal courts use carceral sanctions

when people fail to pay their tickets.

What's At Stake

As Wisconsinites plea for racial justice and real public safety solutions, policing remains systemically inequitable, the conditions inside Wisconsin prisons remain unacceptable, and marijuana remains illegal — all the while the system continues to siphon off critical taxpayer money.

Our Work

There's still a long way to go to end mass incarceration in Wisconsin, but recently, there's been some good news:

The Latest

News & Commentary
Ida B Wells quote reading "Those who commit the murders writes the reports."

The ‘Cycle’ Continues

Another Wisconsinite was killed by police – hours after the world premiere of “Cycle," a documentary about the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Ty’Rese West by Mount Pleasant Police Officer Eric Giese.
Publication
weed report

The State of Cannabis in Wisconsin

We released The State of Cannabis in Wisconsin, a report advocating for marijuana legalization, pointing to the overwhelming support for legalization among Wisconsin voters and the cost of continued criminalization.
Publication

Failure to Pay: The Use of Debt-Based Carceral Sanctions and Warrants in Wisconsin's Municipal Courts

"Failure to Pay" reveals the scope of debt-based sanctions in Wisconsin's municipal courts, creating a two-tiered system of punishment for those with financial means and those without.
Know Your Rights

Know Your Rights: Police Encounters

Court Case
Jul 09, 2025

KRC v. State: Miranda Rights During School Interrogations

We filed an amicus brief asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to protect students' constitutional rights when police question them at school.
Court Case
Oct 07, 2024

Rule Petition 24-02: Interpreters in Municipal Court Proceedings

We filed comments with the Wisconsin Supreme Court supporting a proposed new rule which would require that interpreters be provided to non-English speakers in all municipal court proceedings.
Court Case
Jun 10, 2024

Department of Corrections Must Keep Families Together

The Wisconsin DOC legally must provide programming to incarcerated parents that allows them physical custody of their children for the first year of life.
Court Case
Jul 16, 2019

Collins v. The City of Milwaukee: Reforming Stop-and-Frisks

In 2018, we reached a settlement with MPD to reform their unconstitutional stop-and-frisk practices.