Contact: Lisa Hassenstab, Public Policy Manager, lisah@drwi.org, 608-308-2639
A statement from Jill Jacklitz, Executive Director of Disability Rights Wisconsin, on Friday’s Joint Committee on Finance vote on the Department of Justice budget:
“The Joint Committee on Finance’s decision to include only a fraction of the funding needed to maintain critical services for crime victims across Wisconsin is unacceptable. Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) is the only statewide program that works with survivors with disabilities – regardless of the type of crime. DRW has already sustained more than $750,000 in cuts in FY25 for our crime victim work and is just one of almost 100 organizations in the state who received cuts in funding from FY24 to FY25.
“DRW calls on the Wisconsin State Legislature to take action on behalf of victims of crime and allocate $67.8 million over the biennium to protect the safety of and uphold the rights of victims of crime across Wisconsin, including people with disabilities.”
