Wisconsin rarely grants compassionate release as aging, ailing prisoners stress systems

Wisconsin rarely grants compassionate release as aging, ailing prisoners stress systems 
Wisconsin Watch; by Mario Koran and Sreejita Patra; 10/7/25 
Increased use of compassionate release could ease costs and crowding with minimal risks to public safety, experts say. But it remains off limits to many prisoners. ... Wisconsin grants few applicants compassionate release, leaving many severely ill inmates in short-staffed prisons that often struggle to meet health care needs. Wisconsin courts approved just 53, or 11%, of 489 compassionate release petitions they received between January 2019 and June 2025 — about eight petitions a year, Corrections data show. Courts approved just five of 63 petitions filed in all of 2024.