Wisconsin Legislative Council
ACT MEMO
One Ea st Ma in Stre e t, Suite 401 • Ma dison, W I 53703 • (608) 266-1304 • le g.council@le gis.wisconsin.gov • http://www.le gis.wisconsin.gov/lc
Prepared by: Amber Otis, Senior Staff Attorney August 8, 2023
2023 Wisconsin Act 31
[2023 Assembly Bill 47]
Information on and Notice of
Actions by the Parole
Commission
BACKGROUND
The Parole Commission is a governmental body, administratively attached to the Department of
Corrections (DOC), that is tasked with considering whether an individual who committed a felony
before December 31, 1999, should be granted parole. The Parole Commission is comprised of four
members, including a chairperson who has final parole-granting authority. The Parole Commission may
grant discretionary parole to an eligible individual that has served 25 percent of the sentence imposed
for the offense, or six months, whichever is greater.
2023 WISCONSIN ACT 31
2023 Wisconsin Act 31 modifies various aspects of state law relating to the Parole Commission.
First, Act 31 requires DOC to post on its website the individuals granted parole, denied parole, and
returned to prison following the revocation of parole. DOC must post aggregate numbers that identify
monthly and yearly totals, with the yearly totals presented by: (1) the crime for which the individual was
convicted; (2) the sex, race, and age of the individual; and (3) the locality in which the individual was
convicted. Act 31 also requires DOC to post on its website any guidance documents that the Parole
Commission uses to guide parole decisions.
In addition, Act 31 expands the victims entitled, upon request, to be notified when an inmate applies for
parole, or is released on parole or extended supervision,
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to include any member of the victim’s family
who was younger than 18 years of age at the time the crime was committed, but is now 18 years of age
or older.
Act 31 also modifies the timeline by which the Parole Commission must notify certain persons that an
individual has applied for parole. Under prior law, such notice must have been sent by first class mail to
the last-known address of certain specified recipients, including victims who have requested such
notification, at least three weeks prior to the parole interview or hearing. Act 31 increases this timeline
to at least 90 days before the parole interview or hearing.
Effective date: August 6, 2023
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
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Individuals released on extended supervision are generally subject to the bifurcated sentencing system, which applies
to individuals who committed crimes on or after December 31, 1999 (in contrast to parole, sometimes referred to as
“old law,” which applies to offenders who committed their offenses prior to December 31, 1999). Under the bifurcated
sentencing system, an offender receives a bifurcated sentence consisting of two parts: (a) a term of confinement; and
(b) a term of extended supervision.