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By D.L. Davis July 5, 2022

Evers hasn't taken action to end it, though he could

While campaigning in 2018, Tony Evers said he supports banning the practice of keeping inmates in solitary confinement as a way to manage behavior. Media reports at the time noted that a group of Wisconsin inmates planned to stop eating in an effort to persuade Evers to scale back the use of solitary confinement in state prisons. 

In April 2019, PolitiFact Wisconsin noted that Evers could make such a move to ban solitary confinement unilaterally through an executive order, but he had not yet taken any action and we rated the promise Stalled

In Evers' 2021-23 budget, no reference was made to ending solitary confinement under the Justice and Reform heading. In addition, we found no mention of ending solitary confinement in the listing of the governor's Executive Orders for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. 

According to WI Admin Code § DOC 308.04, as of March 28, 2022, an inmate may be placed in "Administrative (solitary) confinement, which is an involuntary status for the segregated confinement of an inmate whose continued presence in general population poses a serious threat to life, property, self, staff, or other inmates, or to the security or orderly running of the institution."

We asked Evers' staff for any evidence on progress related to this promise, as well as others, but have not received a response.

Since no movement has apparently been made, we are rating this Promise Broken. 

 

Our Sources

PolitiFact Wisconsin Evers-O-Meter

PolitiFact Wisconsin Evers-O-Meter, March 26, 2019.

Governor's Task Force on Broadband Access, 2021

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Wisconsin awards $125M in rural internet service grants. Which communities will receive higher speeds?" June 24, 2022

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Inmates say they will stop eating to persuade Tony Evers 'to make good' on campaign pledge to reduce solitary confinement," March 27, 2019.

PolitiFact Wisconsin Evers-O-Meter, April 18, 2019.

PolitiFact Wisconsin Evers-O-Meter, March 9, 2021.

Budget in Brief, Feb. 2021

PolitiFact Wisconsin Evers-O-Meter, Jan. 19, 2021

Budget in Brief, 2021-23

Gov. Tony Evers, Executive Orders

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "As Congress passes new gun controls, what to know about Wisconsin's laws on concealed carry, age limits and more," June 30, 2022

Wispolitics.com "Republican Party of Wisconsin Resolutions 2022"

PolitiFact Wisconsin Evers-O-Meter, March 9, 2021.

Justia Regulations "Wisconsin Administrative Code Department of Corrections Chapter DOC 308 - Administrative Confinement Section DOC 308.04 - Administrative confinement," March 28, 2022

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Wisconsin Democrats call for stricter gun laws, GOP candidate Nicholson seeks more armed security after Texas school shootings," May 22, 2022

 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   """"""" "Nearly everyone supports universal background checks for gun buyers. Here's why Wisconsin is unlikely to make it law," Aug. 7, 2019

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