Crime becomes political football
MADISON — A top state Justice Department official denied Tuesday that he asked sheriffs for examples of high profile crimes in order to discredit Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposal to let some inmates out of prison early.
Gary Hamblin, administrator of the Justice Department’s Division of Law Enforcement Services, last month asked the head of the state sheriff’s association for cases where offenders on probation committed another crime and went back to jail.
Doyle, a Democrat, is proposing in his budget proposal to let some offenders out of prison early to ease overcrowding. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, a Republican and Hamblin’s boss, has been outspoken against that idea saying it would put the public at risk.
Hamblin made the request for information to Walworth County Sheriff David Graves, the president of the Badger State Sheriffs Association.
In the e-mail sent to all sheriffs on March 25, Graves asked for cases where a "person on probation committed other new crimes thus landing him/her back in jail making the community safer.
"If you have a 'high profile case,' that would be even better," Graves said in the e-mail obtained by The Associated Press.
Hamblin said Graves forwarded him e-mails from two sheriffs who detailed high-profile murder cases that would meet that criteria. But Hamblin said he did not follow up on the cases or pass them along to Van Hollen.
"I don’t intend to go around waiving this in front of people," Hamblin said. "If somebody believes we were dredging it out and were going to waive it around to embarrass someone, that hasn’t happened."
Hamblin said the query was just part of his regular process of gathering information from a variety of sources about issues affecting public safety.
Other sheriffs said they were perplexed by the e-mail and questioned Van Hollen’s intent. "I guess I was a little suspect of it," said Rock County Sheriff Bob Spoden. He called the e-mail "a little unusual" and "lacking in credibility."
If the attorney general’s office wanted to gather facts about releasing inmates early, it should contact the state prison system and not talk to county sheriffs, Spoden said.
Spoden said he was even more suspicious given that "high profile cases" were specifically requested.
By asking only for high profile cases, the Justice Department will only hear about those cases that can be sensationalized to scare people, said Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney. If the department really were interested in gathering facts, it would seek information about successful early release programs and other details, not just failures, he said.
Hamblin, who served as Dane County sheriff for nine years, said he was familiar with programs that worked.
Doyle spokeswoman Carla Vigue issued a one-sentence statement in reaction to the e-mail: "We certainly hope the attorney general and his staff are not using that esteemed office for political maneuvers, baseless assertions and fear mongering."
Van Hollen and other Republicans have been vocal in their opposition to parts of Doyle’s public safety budget.
To ease prison overcrowding, Doyle’s budget would allow inmates to earn time for good behavior that could make them eligible for release under extended supervision sooner. Those inmates could also earn credit to finish their supervision sooner. Doyle’s administration estimates about 3,000 inmates might be eligible.
Doyle is also proposing eliminating probation for nonviolent offenders convicted of misdemeanors, which would affect an estimated 7,000 offenders.
Van Hollen spoke out against the plan in a heated hearing before the Democratic-controlled budget committee on March 17. He also criticized it in a series of news conferences across the state in the same cities where the committee was holding budget hearings.
Graves, the sheriff who sent the e-mail requesting the information, said he’s torn about Doyle’s proposal because he understands Van Hollen’s concerns about safety but he also knows that prisons are overcrowded.
"It’s kind of between a rock and a hard place," he said. "It’s a tough issue."
Both Spoden and Mahoney defended the Doyle proposal, saying that as a former district attorney and three-term attorney general, Doyle would not endorse something that would put the public at risk.
Apr 16, 2009 at 7:14 p.m.
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But did you ever wonder how many who were ever released early shortly thereafter committed their first murder?
Apr 16, 2009 at 5:51 p.m.
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I can see most of you people need to do some research first before you all get bent out of shape. Those who are to be released under this EARLY RELEASE PLAN have been convicted of non-violent crimes. There won't be anyone convicted of killing someone who will be released.
Apr 15, 2009 at 11:32 a.m.
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So we save $25,000 or so a prisoner for every one we release? That's unlikely as the costs would be spread over fewer prisoners raising the cost per person and the real savings would probably be considerably less, but for the sake of argument let's say we save $25,000 per released prisoner. How much do we save having these people in jail? How many property crimes are prevented by incarceration? How much damaged and stolen property is saved by incarceration? What about non-economic crimes? What is a prevented rape worth? A prevented murder? Sure, the folks that would be released would probably not have a violent history, but almost no one starts his criminal career as a rapist or murderer, as a bank robber or even as a home invader. But these people are incarcerated ultimately because they have little respect for law and have no problem putting their own interest ahead of anyone else’s even if that means taking what they want by force. Incarceration saves lives and money in prevention that cannot be cataloged but are real just the same. Releasing these prisoners is a shortsighted, even cynical effort to either save money or lower resistance to higher taxes. Still, one cannot discount the possibility that our Governor really does believe that our sentencing laws are too harsh.
Apr 15, 2009 at 9:44 a.m.
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they shouldn't have to look too far to find some stupid bungle from Doyle, he's full of them. Not raising taxes? No, just higher fees all around and so on and so on.....
Apr 15, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.
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"Republicans like to stir the pot!!How dumb can they be to leave a paper trail ??"
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Yes those terrible Republican elected officals trying to protect the public from criminals, what were they thinking? On top of that, doing these things (protecting the public) above board and not in hiding how dumb...It all should have been done in some back room with secure communication and not in the public's eye?
Apr 15, 2009 at 8:25 a.m.
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"Doyle spokeswoman Carla Vigue issued a one-sentence statement in reaction to the e-mail: "We certainly hope the attorney general and his staff are not using that esteemed office for political maneuvers..."
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Sounds like the pot calling the kettle... I guess only one office in this state is allowed to use their office for political maneuvers, right Governor?.
Apr 15, 2009 at 8:17 a.m.
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I would gladly pay more for taxes to keep those thugs in jail before I waste money on wellfare that never ever gets a return.
Apr 15, 2009 at 1:32 a.m.
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Short-term, probation and diversion MIGHT save SOME money (but little, in reality, for diversion, if a true -- and good luck on that! -- cost/benefit analysis was actually completed), but ultimately change little or no behavior. FELONY fifth time drunk drivers confined to their homes, grocery shopping, jobs (if they have one) -- get real! If they didn't stop at number two, home detention is not going to stop number six and counting!
Why can't Hamblin ask for examples? What will he do, spread the truth?! HERESY! I also once assumed that since Doyle was a former AG he would be righteous on criminal issues, but major contributors such as WEAC and others are working the mouth of our flaccid idiot-in-chief, who's more inclined to propose handing out "domestic partner" benefits to state employees in the midst of a budget crisis than to deal with hard criminal issues.
Wanna save some serious jail space and major police/DA time (i.e. MONEY!) while curbing violence, reducing theft and property crime, and eviscerating gang activity? LEGALIZE DRUGS -- ALL OF 'EM! All we've been doing is chasing our tails since Nixon declared the "War on Drugs" in 1971, wasting almost unlimited amounts of money, curing nothing, and enriching the gangs just like prohibition did in the '30s. Hey -- maybe we'll get another Kennedy family dynasty/curse out of it!
What about heroin, you say? What about it?! No amount of legislation, enforcement, and incarceration is going to deter someone who is willing to shoot H into their veins! Let 'em have it, LEGALLY and TAXED. It's their life, let 'em waste it if they want to, but don't let it be at the profit of street gangs and to the detriment of other citizens' safety! And if they OD, oh well! As far as the "noble weed" goes -- come on! Nothing has been demonized more out of proportion. "Gateway drug(s)"? Nicotine and alcohol, hands down! Contribution violent behavior and domestic abuse? ALCOHOL, absolutely!
Apr 15, 2009 at 1:10 a.m.
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"Doyle spokeswoman Carla Vigue issued a one-sentence statement in reaction to the e-mail: "We certainly hope the attorney general and his staff are not using that esteemed office for political maneuvers, baseless assertions and fear mongering."
Of course Doyle's concerned... that's HIS prerogative!
Apr 14, 2009 at 8:20 p.m.
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would state-wide use of more ankle bracelets help the current situation?
Apr 14, 2009 at 7:05 p.m.
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This whole Justice system stuff seems to be getting to be a joke to some people. Why give the criminals the attention? It's the true victims that need the support!
If a person does a crime, let them feel embarrassed. How do you think the victims feel? Violated?
For example, in Janesville, we have those digital billboards. The joke is that the only crimes that seem to be posted are drug and theft related. Why not embarrass those idiots that raped and/or violated kids, elderly, the disabled, etc? That would create the best stir! if you're going to stir the pot, get the idiots that take advantage of people in addition to those druggies and thieves! Oh wait, that could be those 'rich' and 'well-to-do' people. But then again, it'd serve its purpose.... I can think of one person that deserves to have their face and crime plastered.... oh, that's another story!
Apr 14, 2009 at 7:04 p.m.
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When we release people from prison early they get out and are placed on probation or parole. Ask any law enforcement officer what probation/parole means and they will tell you it is essentially a stamp that says to be returned to jail at a later time. When the P&P agent deems the person needs an attitude adjustment or has an infraction of the rules they send them back, of course not to prison but to the county jails, which are overcrowded also. We are just shifting the overcrowding to the county level instead of the state. While I agree that Sheriff Spoden will go along with anything that the Democratic Party wants, I also feel that he has done a good job in Rock County. I hope he realizes that if this goes through he might as well start the phases of the jail expansion now because we are going to need it.
Apr 14, 2009 at 6:48 p.m.
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Well "JusticeMan", Graves, Van Hollen, and Hamblin are just Rethuglican lackeys and that's all.
What these fools did wrong was they specifically requested high profile cases, which was meant to make this look worse than what it really is. Graves is the sheriff in the county where I live, and I do not appreciate these kinds of tactics. If Graves is going to do something like this, how can I trust him to be fair dealing with anything or anyone else.
Apr 14, 2009 at 6:06 p.m.
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What's wrong with pointing out that innocent people have been victimized as a result of Doyle's hug-a-thug policies? Mahoney and Spoden are just Democratic Party lackeys who are sacrificing the public safety to to further their own political ambitions.
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