TIME IS RIGHT FOR PRISON REFORM

Almost two decades ago, the Wisconsin mantra toward criminals was to build
more prisons to keep more criminals off the streets. To feed the desire,
voters clamored for tougher sentences.

Perception, though, met reality. We watched while sister state Minnesota had
different results in reserving prison for the hard-core criminal and
allowing more offenders into alternative sentencing programs. Wisconsin's
series of budget crises over the past three years forced another hand to be
dealt: cost controls on the prison system.

Steps into this newfound territory come lightly and slowly. Reform of the
state's prison systems must begin by changing attitudes. The size of the
system is what makes this difficult. Some steps will march forward. Some
will march backwards. One small step forward came this week in the form of a
bill that state Sen. Carol Roessler, R-Oshkosh, is writing.

She wants a law that expands the success of drug and alcohol treatment
programs that have seen success in counties like Dane and La Crosse. People
who are sentenced receive lighter penalties in exchange for successful
completion of drug treatment programs. If criminals fail to finish the
programs, they face stiffer consequences.

What this does is place the state in a position to reduce future crime. Not
every person will be a success story. The success is in the state changing
its attitude. Wisconsin is placing more emphasis on treating the illness.

Minnesota shows the success of this model. It has about one-third the
prisoners Wisconsin has. Thousands more are enrolled in community probation
programs. Minnesotans understand that offenders under counseling are less
disruptive of family life and can become stable wage-earners.

The tricky part of Roessler's bill will be the means by which it shifts
money to counties. This will require some convincing of her fellow
Republicans of cost-shifting in the budget. Roessler certainly has the
social services background to make a convincing case.

Significant, too, is that Roessler is a Republican. That's the traditional
party of "lock 'em up and keep 'em out of sight." A Republican who is a
reformer in prison issues is a rare instance. Perhaps there is a conversion
process at work in her party's ranks.

Whatever the other sideshows, the spotlight is on Roessler to produce. She
wants to push the state forward. That's the kind of innovation Wisconsin
needs and Roessler's timing couldn't be better.

The Final Thought: State Sen. Carol Roessler, R-Oshkosh, showed the
innovation Wisconsin needs to keep its laws and prison system from becoming
too much of a burden on the taxpayer.