Wisconsin’s prison population is heading toward a record high. Track the trend here.
Overcrowding is particularly extreme in Wisconsin’s women’s prisons, two of which hold more than twice as many people as they were designed for. A new Wisconsin Watch tool, updated weekly, shows the population approaching the 2019 record.
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Fact Briefs – bite-sized fact checks of trending claims
Did a proposed bipartisan Wisconsin tax rebate exclude about 30% of filers?
Yes. Many filers wouldn’t have been eligible because they didn’t owe any taxes.
Is Wisconsin’s minimum wage in 2026 the same as it was in 2009?
Yes. Wisconsin is one of 13 states where the minimum wage is equal to the federal $7.25 per hour rate.
public square
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Opinion
Guest opinion: How Congress can reduce deadly falls among older Americans
Legislation would let Medicare patients receive a free falls risk assessment during annual wellness visits.
Guest opinion: After decades in prison, who deserves a chance at clemency?
Wisconsin leaders are debating who in prison should qualify for clemency. A one-size-fits-all approach risks ignoring rehabilitation and growth with age.
Your Right to Know: How to solve high record costs and long delays
Wisconsin’s Open Records Law imposes no deadline on producing records. All it says is they must be produced “as soon as practicable and without delay.”