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This powerful message has given me a better idea of how we can reach out to inmates. Note: Paul is a Christian who is continually telling other inmates about his faith!
cassfox;1065847909 said:Paul M. Nigl
#280834
Waupun Correctional Institution
PO Box 351
Waupun, WI 53963
May 28, 2015
Governor Scott Walker
115 East
State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702
Dear Governor Walker,
I hope that this letter will reach your desk and not become one of the many which ends up in the discard or unseen pile. I have exhausted all my options for help and attention, and have finally decided at the urging of friends and family, to contact you and your staff. My issue is regarding the truth-in-sentencing model which became a legislative act prior to my incarceration.
Eliminating the parole board was one of the biggest mistakes Wisconsin legislators made. With its elimination came the elimination for motivation to behave appropriately, change, or even succeed in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Inmates, for the most part, have taken a “forget it” attitude since many of us have absolutely no hope for earning release based upon good behavior or making the best choices. Yes, some of us have changed despite that act. The rest continue to be so problematic that it is costing the State of Wisconsin more to manage them than the 30,000 or so dollars it takes to keep them incarcerated each year.
It seems that no one cares about us as human beings, which we are, Sir. So, if our humanity is not an issue, then the fiscal responsibility of Wisconsin should be. The Department of Corrections is big business for Wisconsin. Yet, indirect and direct costs accrue not only to maintain us, but also when an inmate seeks a reason to sue the State of Wisconsin in an effort to obtain freedom from an overly harsh sentence, an unfair sentence, or misconduct by those who operate the prisons. Wisconsin judges are allowed to impose sentences at will with no accountability or consistency.
Even Caesar released one prisoner a year as an act of goodwill, and to maintain his popularity with the people he governed. Positive attention could be gained by you and your staff if you would remedy this massive incarceration problem as a pre-emptive move toward your future political goals. The money invested in maintaining a heavy prison population could be better invested in other areas in need of state funding. Those of us who are not fundamentally dangerous to society, and who have transformed ourselves should be allowed a second chance.
Sincerely,
Paul M. Nigl
Update: Mr. Nigl's new address is: Paul M. Nigl #280834, Redgranite Correctional Institution, PO Box 925, Redgranite, WI 54970-0925