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The mission of the Wisconsin Justice Initiative is to advocate for progressive change in the Wisconsin justice system by educating the public about its real-life impacts and partnering with other organizations to achieve more just outcomes.

Our priorities:
  • Ensuring that municipal court defendants are treated fairly and that judges adhere to the law in          considering poverty at sentencing
  • Legalizing medical and recreational cannabis
  • Eliminating life-without-parole sentences for juveniles
  • Increasing the lowest-in-the-nation $40-per-hour-rate paid to private attorneys who represent poor  clients on behalf of the State Public Defender's Office
  • Eliminating the felony bail jumping charge
Recent successes:
  • Successfully lobbied the City of Milwaukee to provide a lawyer for indigent    defendants in Municipal Court
  • Published a "Know Your Rights" card, municipal court version, in partnership with other organizations and with funding from the Wisconsin Law Foundation
  • Successfully urged Milwaukee County to increase the amount it charges          municipalities to house inmates at the House of Correction who are incarcerated    due to their failure to pay municipal court forfeitures
  •  Successfully worked to significantly reduce the number of municipal court     defendants incarcerated at the House of Correction
  • Played a key role in organizing 18 cannabis legalization advisory referendums in Wisconsin

Continuing work:
  • Advocating for continuation of the Milwaukee Municipal Court defense attorney position
  • Holding monthly luncheons, open to the public, where guest speakers address legal issues of general interest and concern
  • Providing the public with news and information about the justice system  through the WJI blog, newsletter, social media, and public speaking
  • Advocating for the defeat of the unconstitutional "Marsy's Law"
  • Working for cannabis legalization
  • Advocating for the repeal of life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders
  • Working with partners to ensure fair compensation and rigorous qualification standards for private bar attorneys representing poor clients on behalf of the State Public Defender's Office
  • Opposing overly-punitive sentences for crimes
  • Calling attention to the abuse of felony bail jumping charges to force guilty  pleas from defendants
  • Providing continuing legal education credit opportunities for attorneys
  • Translating the "Know Your Rights" pocket-guide into Spanish
Many thanks to these foundation supporters for their support:
Theodora Swientek Fund
Herb Kohl Philanthropies
Ralph Evinrude Foundation
Contact us:

​Wisconsin Justice Initiative Inc.
P.O. Box 100705
Milwaukee, WI 53210

414-331-0724

Gretchen@wjiinc.org
Margo@wjiinc.org

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