Measure to Require Parole Information be Published Online Heads to Gov. Evers’ Desk

The fate of a Republican sponsored bill that seeks to compel the state’s parole commission to post its decisions online about who has been granted and denied parole is now in the hands of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.

By a 29-4 vote, the Senate recently advanced the measure with some changes after an earlier version of it previously passed the Assembly on the strength of bipartisan support. Under the parameters of the newly proposed measure, the Department of Corrections would be required to post the names of individuals granted parole, denied parole or returned to prison following the revocation of parole.

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Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders Vetoes $5 Million in Pandemic Expenses for State Agency: ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Is Over’

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a line-item veto Friday for $5 million in pandemic expenses included in the Department of Corrections budget.

“During my first days in office, I terminated several existing Executive Orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sanders said in her veto letter. “I believe in freedom and personal responsibility – not COVID mandates or shutdowns. The COVID-19 pandemic is over.”

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Wisconsin Republican Lawmakers Furious after Audit Exposes Former Inmates Stay Free After Committing New Crimes

Republican lawmakers are ripping Gov. Evers after a new audit shows many former inmates are not being sent back to prison for new crimes.

The Legislative Audit Bureau released its report into the state’s Community Corrections Program on Friday. It says the Department of Corrections is not following-up on former inmates well enough, and says Department of Corrections agents are not reporting crimes that could send ex-convicts back to prison.

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Trans Prisoner Sues State, Wants to Get ‘Bottom Surgery’ in Prison

An activist law firm is helping a transgender Minnesota inmate sue the Department of Corrections partly because authorities aren’t letting the prisoner pursue “gender-affirming” genital surgery.

Christina Lusk is the name of a male-to-female transgender person who is incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Moose Lake, serving time for a drug offense until early 2024. Lusk is suing the DOC with help from the law center Gender Justice, seeking financial compensation and other objectives. Lusk is upset about being housed in a male prison, suffering harassment from male prisoners, and being prevented from pursuing further transgender operations.

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New York City to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine for Entire City Workforce

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that all New York City municipal workers would be required to have a COVID-19 vaccination.

All municipal employees, including police and firefighters, will have until Oct. 29 to receive their first shot or risk losing their jobs, according to de Blasio. City employees will receive an additional $500 in their paychecks after receiving their first dose.

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