An Act to create 15.105 (34), 16.035, 20.505 (1) (dz), 20.923 (6) (ak) and 230.08 (2) (ym) of the statutes; Relating to: creating an office of the ombudsperson for corrections and making an appropriation. (FE)
AB1222 creates a new Office of the Ombudsperson for Corrections within the Wisconsin Department of Administration. The office would be led by a governor-appointed, senate-confirmed ombudsperson and could also include a deputy ombudsperson in the classified service. Its core purpose is to receive and investigate complaints about state correctional facilities, juvenile correctional facilities, secured residential care centers for children and youth, and community-based correctional services operated or contracted by the Department of Corrections.
The bill gives the ombudsperson authority to accept complaints from prisoners, staff, contractors, family members, and members of the public concerning facilities, abuse, unfair acts, and violations of prisoners’ rights. It requires correctional institutions to distribute complaint forms and self-sealing envelopes, allows the office to collect sealed complaints directly, and authorizes investigations, recommendations, subpoenas, and referrals for criminal or disciplinary action. The office must also publish annual reports and maintain a public dashboard of complaint statistics and outcomes.
AB1222 would add a new oversight layer to Wisconsin correctional law by creating statutory duties for correctional facilities, community-based correctional services, and the Department of Administration. It would require cooperation with the ombudsperson, access to records and facilities, and a 30-day response from operators when recommendations are directed to them. The bill also creates a new state program appropriation, authorizes 26.0 GPR-funded FTE positions, and establishes the office’s place in state government and civil service structure.
The bill appears to be framed as a prison oversight and accountability measure, with support implied by its introduction from a group of Democratic legislators and senators. No committee transcript or recorded vote information is available in the provided materials, so there is no documented floor debate or formal vote sentiment to assess. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance into law despite its proposed oversight reforms.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the creation of a new state office, the associated appropriation and 26 new positions, and the expanded investigative authority over correctional agencies and contractors. Correctional operators may also object to mandatory cooperation, access to records, subpoena power, and required responses to recommendations. On the other hand, supporters would likely emphasize prisoner rights, transparency, independent oversight, and a formal complaint channel for incarcerated people and their families.