Disability Rights Wisconsin, along with state criminal defense lawyers and two incarcerated individuals with pre-existing conditions, filed a petition in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court today seeking the release of elderly and vulnerable people from state prisons in order to avoid a dangerous outbreak that would further strain the state’s health care capacity and put public health at risk.
The lawsuit filed by ACLU Wisconsin asks the court to order Governor Tony Evers and state corrections officials to reduce the prison population to a level where social distancing is possible, giving priority to the elderly and those with conditions that increase their risk of COVID-19 complications and death.