Additionally, the Senate voted on Assembly Bills 805 and 806. AB 805 would require the DOC to recommend revoking a person’s extended supervision, parole or prohibition if they are charged with a crime while on extended supervision, parole or probation. According to Kevin Carr, the DOC Secretary, this bill would “eliminate the department’s current framework of determining the best course of action when a person under supervision is charged with a crime.” AB 806 expands the crimes for which a juvenile can be placed in the Serious Juvenile Offender Program or a correctional facility. Again Carr stated that the bill would “expand the number of incarcerated youth, at a time when the legislature has yet to move forward … on the submitted plan for the construction of two Type 1 facilities.”

On Feb. 13, state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-Berlin, made a claim in support of the Republican “tougher on crime” bills, which Politifact rated as “Pants on Fire.” The report states that his claim is “not only false, but ridiculous.” Republicans are attempting to push a narrative to make Wisconsinites believe that violent crime rates have increased almost everywhere in the state between 2008 and 2017, and as Politifact states, “almost every word of that is wrong.” Republicans are trying to solve a problem that does not exist by putting more people in our prisons.