Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin has launched a bold proposal aimed at addressing the serious issues plaguing the state's correctional system, with a plan to spend close to $500 million. Central to the governor's approach is the closure of Green Bay's aging prison, signaling a move away from maintaining facilities that have long been in decline, according to TMJ4.

Evers' plan also includes provisions to streamline the process for non-violent offenders to potentially earn early release. Further, the strategy seeks to heavily invest in job training and substance abuse treatment as a means to actively prevent recidivism. During a briefing, the governor underscored the importance of reform, saying, "This plan is as good as plans get," and stressed the need for bipartisan cooperation to actualize these reforms, as obtained by FOX6 Now.

The urgency of these reforms is underscored by past incidents at Green Bay Correctional Institution, where last year's firing and subsequent criminal charging of the warden and eight staff members happened in the wake of inmate deaths. These tragedies highlighted the grave inadequacies within the facility, as reported by Journal Sentinel. According to the same source, should the Green Bay-area prison close, those now employed there would be guaranteed jobs at other facilities, a detail that suggests a transition plan is in place for affected staff.

Moreover, Evers referenced the economic benefits to be gained from the site's closure. A previous study by St. Norbert College highlighted that replacing the prison with commercial and residential buildings could potentially create over 1,000 jobs and add no less than $1 million in annual property tax collections locally. As opposed to creating an entirely new adult prison, which Evers cited would take over a decade to complete and cost more than $1.3 billion, remodeling the Waupun Correctional Institution into what officials have termed a "vocational village" would focus squarely on expanding job training opportunities, aiming to better prepare released individuals to integrate into society successfully, as per TMJ4.