Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Implements New Executive Orders to Restore Commutation Processes

An analysis of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ new executive orders restoring commutation processes

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Published July 7th, 2026

Written by Morgan Van Eperen

With the turn of the new year, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers strives to bring change to the Wisconsin justice system as new legislation is being approved. The issue of overcrowding in jails and prisons is not a new phenomenon, rather it is a topic that has gone untouched by a multitude of legal institutions. As the sheer number of individuals incarcerated is increasing, legal resources and staffing are becoming swamped as the current legal system is not fully equipped to handle the large influx in new prisoners nationwide. 

According to the Sentencing Project, Wisconsin has an extensive history of imposing harsh penalties for young people with the belief that a longer sentence will become beneficial to the rehabilitation process. Evers’ executive orders were created in order to directly combat similar statistics that still plague the state of Wisconsin today. Since 1990, the Wisconsin state incarceration population has tripled leading to severe overcrowding of state and local facilities, says Wisconsin Public Radio. 

On April 3, 2026, Tony Evers signed executive order #287 and #288 with the plan to fix the recurring issue at hand, according to WisPolitics. In Evers’ address, he stressed the necessity of adhering to a criminal justice system that keeps up with the times. In doing so, Evers’ highlighted the apparent need for the Wisconsin community to reduce the current recidivism rate, improve the public safety system, and reduce the amount of taxpayer dollars being funneled into the legal system. The Wisconsin Governor has a recognizable history of trying to enforce his beliefs earlier in his years as he has issued over 2,000 pardons in the Wisconsin system, a state high says WisPolitics. 

Pardons, unlike commutations, return many civil rights to the offender as well as offer a sign of forgiveness and the chance to prove oneself worthy of being a part of the community. Pardons given by Tony Evers however are more complex than they seem as he has set requirements that individuals must meet in order to be considered for a full pardon. 

In his new executive orders, Evers plans to introduce commutation processes that reduce a current sentence rather than intervening when the sentence has been carried out in full, as stated by WisPolitics. As with pardons, individuals must meet a certain criteria to qualify for commutation and this opportunity is also available for juvenile offenders as well, as mentioned by Wisconsin.Gov. The purpose of a commutation is to allow a convicted individual to prove to themselves and others that they can be a positive, and active participant in the community, restoring their relationship with themselves and those around them. Enforcement of commutations rather than pardons allows for the integration of new scientific evidence found in cases such as Miller v. Alabama proves that life sentences are detrimental to individuals younger in age, according to WisPolitics. Acting in concert with the goals of commutation processes, in the new executive orders, Tony Evers requires individuals to register with the VIctim Witness Services in hopes of obtaining feedback from active participants about how the current system is working and what could possibly change. 

Wisconsin however is not the first state to participate in this new way of thinking and enforcing a modern criminal justice system. The Sentencing Project highlights previous usage by states such as California, Delaware and Oklahoma who have all passed a Senate Bill which enforces commutation practices. 

Though the usage of modern methods in efforts to decrease criminalization and incarceration rates nationwide have been steadily increasing, there is still a lack of evidence proving the benefits of commutation processes in state systems. As a fairly new process, a lack of research may contribute to the little knowledge known about the effectiveness of commutation practices. Continuation in the efforts by state and federal governments may help further reduce the rates of incarceration; however more far-reaching measures are needed to make an apparent difference nationwide, says The Sentencing Project.

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