Contact: Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) 608-266-2343
Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) 608-266-2540

Madison–Today, Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) released the following statement:

“It is extremely disappointing that the State Senate is now stalling a bill that will provide swifter justice for crime victims across the state and put more violent criminals behind bars. On February 22nd, with the support of Governor Walker, the State Assembly passed SB 54 which requires the Department of Corrections to recommend revoking a person’s parole, probation, or extended supervision if they are charged with a new felony or violent misdemeanor. At the same time, the Assembly also passed an amendment to the bill that creates 54 additional prosecutor positions in the most understaffed District Attorney (DA) offices across the state,” stated Rep. Nygren.

“One of the biggest obstacles keeping DAs from prosecuting more crimes and putting criminals behind bars is a shortage of staffing in their offices. A workload analysis shows that Wisconsin has a need for an additional 139 prosecutors across the state. SB 54, which the Assembly passed, will help address this shortage, bringing much-needed resources to communities across Wisconsin to help fight crime and obtain justice for victims and their families,” said Rep. Born.

“The shortage of prosecutors, coupled with a growing opioid and meth epidemic, has resulted in historic case backlogs facing our DAs. The strain placed on our justice system is unsustainable.

It is unfortunate that victims may have to wait longer for justice because of inaction,” continued Rep. Nygren.

“We call on our Senate colleagues join the Assembly in acting now to provide resources to address this problem.”

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