As in 2018, the humanitarian crisis in Wisconsin prisons could play a big part in Wisconsin’s 2026 governor and legislative races. It should be easy to create a strong contrast with the absurd and inhumane Republican position, but Democratic candidates will have to distance themselves from eight disastrous years of Democratic control of the DOC under Tony Evers.

In 2018, Governor Evers ran on reducing the prison population by 50%, but the population is now climbing fastest it has since before 2000. Instead of taking concrete and decisive action, he he’s choosing to float a reform plan to a legislature long determined to sink everything he does.