The Cannabis Question
How a little pot can lead to big consequences for tens of thousands of Wisconsin residents
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The hundreds of collateral consequences of low-level marijuana convictions include barriers to jobs, housing and financial aid.
WisconsinWatch.org (https://www.wisconsinwatch.org/category/justice-public-safety/page/2/)
The hundreds of collateral consequences of low-level marijuana convictions include barriers to jobs, housing and financial aid.
Proposals could help those with past arrests or convictions seek jobs and other opportunities; experts say the existing expungement law is hard to navigate.
In some Wisconsin counties, inmates pay an average of $390 a month in pay-to-stay fees; advocates say such fees can criminalize poverty.
A Wisconsin Watch survey found jails across the state differ greatly in the fees they charge inmates; many do not list the information on their websites.
‘Roberto’ says he was taken from Georgia, where he worked legally but was exploited, to Wisconsin, where he worked illegally — and in the shadows.
While journalists’ first inclination is to bring you the news as soon as we learn it, we decided to delay release of the story and to conceal Roberto’s identity to minimize harm.
Immigrants face a danger of deportation if they possess or invest in marijuana, even in states where it is legal.
Gov. Tony Evers’ decriminalization proposal focuses on decreasing racial disparities in arrests; experts point to policing practices as the main issue.
The Democrat’s goal to reduce incarceration by 50 percent faces numerous hurdles; his own 2019-21 budget proposal calls for increasing prison beds.
Supervision time in Wisconsin is third-longest in the U.S., meaning more chances for revocations and increased prison populations.
Investigative reporter Natalie Yahr learned that having a lawyer greatly increases the chances of immigrants being able to stay in the U.S, once they have been put into deportation proceedings. Yahr talks about the role that lawyers play in immigration cases, and how she reported this story.
Having a lawyer is an important factor in getting released. A Dane County, Wis., program helps immigrants get out of jail and challenge efforts to deport them.