MADISON, Wis. – Today, the Wisconsin Assembly’s Committee on Corrections held a public hearing on two bills aimed at alleviating inhumane conditions in Wisconsin’s jails and prisons. These bills are part of a larger legislative package introduced by Rep. Darrin Madison (D-10) in October called Conditions of Confinement, written with direct guidance from people who are incarcerated, people who are formerly incarcerated, their loved ones, and advocates for reforming the notoriously harmful conditions in Department of Corrections and county-run facilities.
The bills that received a public hearing today are:
- AB 736 (Senator LaTonya Johnson/Rep. Robyn Vining and Rep. Roe) requiring DOC and county sheriffs to provide nontoxic menstrual products free of charge
- AB 741 (Senator Johnson/Rep. Sheila Stubbs and Rep. Madison) capping the prices of most personal hygiene products, requiring access to culturally-sensitive hygiene products, and providing $25/mo to people who are incarcerated to afford the products they need.
Rep. Madison (D-10) released the following statement:
“From the very beginning of my time representing the people of District 10, my office has prioritized alleviating the terrible, inhumane conditions in Wisconsin’s jails and prisons. That work has not gone unnoticed: we get hundreds of letters every year from folks in Department of Corrections (“DOC”) and county facilities sharing the often grotesque details of their treatment inside. Those same people helped us develop sound policy to improve those conditions, along with powerful advocacy organizations like WISDOM Wisconsin, EXPO, Dream.org, Milwaukee Turners, ACLU of Wisconsin, and many more grassroots groups and individuals. We also regularly consult with staff experts at the DOC to make these ideas practical and possible. That work led to seventeen updated Conditions of Corrections bills, released in front of Milwaukee’s notorious county jail last October.
“Sadly, we rarely get a chance in the Committee on Corrections to talk about legislation that makes positive, compassionate change in our jails and prisons. But today, I’m grateful to Chair Dean Kaufert and his colleagues in the majority for giving a fair hearing to AB 736 and AB 741 in the Assembly Committee on Corrections. I’m also very happy to hear he’s signing on to AB 736, making quality, nontoxic menstrual products free for people in DOC or county care.
“AB 736 and AB 741 are common sense ideas designed to help people maintain their dignity during incarceration. People should have access to those hygiene products and care they need to stay healthy, whether incarcerated or not. People in jails and prisons should not be forced to purchase those products at absurd mark ups, or to work for hundreds of hours for pennies just to afford decent shampoo or menstrual products that work. Indeed, far too many people in Wisconsin’s prisons and county jails work for close to nothing, pushing the financial burden onto their loved ones and perpetuating cycles of despair and desperation. That has negative ripple effects throughout our communities.
“These unfair and inhumane choices also have profound costs: inadequate personal hygiene products and menstrual products can and do lead to pain, infections, and other serious health complications. They can cause misery, and even death, the cost of which is borne most heavily by people’s families, but is certainly felt by all of us. That cost can be prevented by the modest upfront investments proposed by AB 736 and 741.
“We know these bills are sound policy and we know that these changes are top priorities for incarcerated people and their loved ones. We will happily work with the Department of Corrections and legislative Republicans to bring them to Governor Tony Evers’ desk as soon as possible.”
