Dailytakes

Sixth in a series

A look at the Thompson Record in Wisconsin

Issue: Criminal Justice

Prior to Thompson becoming Governor, Wisconsin’s criminal justice system had enough holes to make swiss cheese envious. Thompson and Republicans in the legislature ended the charade of parole, reformed the juvenile justice system to put the emphasis on justice, increased the rights of victims and built more prisons to house the lawbreakers.

Some believe our criminal justice policies must be determined by the lawbreakers themselves. In the 90s they looked at the issue of prison overcrowding and cried that Wisconsin should reevaluate sentencing and ease overcrowding by opening the prison doors.

Not Tommy Thompson.

Thompson never believed Wisconsin’s criminal justice policies should be determined by those who broke the law. Thompson doubled the state’s prison capacity to ensure that criminals who deserve to be off the streets remain locked up. He added more than 6,200 beds by the time he departed for Washington and an additional 2,000 beds were under construction by the time he left office.

Thompson helped develop the state’s landmark sexual predator law, which kept predators confined beyond completion of their initial prison sentence. He ended the charade of parole and mandatory release when the state finally adopted Truth in Sentencing. Under Thompson, Wisconsin eliminated the ‘time off for good behavior’ farce and imposed a ‘more time for bad behavior’ sentencing provision.

Wisconsin was also the first state known to implement an extensive prison work program, putting convicts to work allowing them to pay for their keep by working. Revenue from the program also helped pay a small part of the corrections system’s operating costs.

Finally, juvenile justice, pre-Thompson, put the best interest of the juvenile offender above the interest of society and the offenders’ victims. Thompson and Republicans in the legislature rightly put an end to that.

Liberals continue to whine about long prison sentences, and the ‘inhumane’ conditions at the Supermax. But the rest of Wisconsin appreciates that under Thompson, the corrections system’s revolving door, was slowed considerably, albeit not eliminated. Most of the sweeping changes Thompson made to Wisconsin’s criminal justice and corrections policies will remain in place for decades to come, and Wisconsin is much safer for it.

This executive level experience on criminal justice and security issues could serve Thompson well were he to go forward with a campaign for the Presidency.

Next week Dailytakes will examine the Thompson record on health care, both as Governor of Wisconsin and as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Later, we’ll look at the hurdles Thompson will face in his possible long shot bid to become President of the United States..

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