CONTACT: Rep. David Steffen, (608) 266-5840
Madison– State Representative David Steffen (R-Howard) has been appointed to serve as a member of the Corrections Facilities Planning Committee, a joint study committee created in the 2017-19 biennial budget, and charged with developing a long-range, sustainable plan for Wisconsin’s correctional facilities, including the Green Bay Correctional Institution. The committee is composed of members appointed by the Governor, the Speaker, and the Senate Majority Leader and will be assisted by the Department of Administration.
“Rep. Steffen has been instrumental in bringing this issue to the forefront in the Capitol,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. “He has a tremendous amount of knowledge and passion for this issue and was an obvious choice for this committee.”
“Developing real, cost-effective solutions to issues facing our state’s prisons, especially GBCI, has been a top priority for me this session,” said Rep. Steffen, who is the lead author of a comprehensive proposal to save the state over $150 Million through the construction of a replacement facility for GBCI elsewhere in Northeastern Wisconsin.
“As a member of this committee, my focus will be on providing forward-thinking, actionable solutions for our facilities—to that end, I certainly view my Green Bay Prison Proposal as an appropriate model to be considered within the scope of this committee,” said Rep. Steffen.
As part of this study, the committee will focus on developing solutions to many of the statewide issues impacting Wisconsin’s prison system, such as capacity shortfalls, physical condition of aging facilities, workforce needs, healthcare and programmatic needs.
“This committee has an important opportunity to re-direct the course for our state’s prisons. I have an optimistic outlook for this committee because oftentimes, necessity truly is the mother of invention, and considering that all of our maximum facilities are at or above operating capacity, we absolutely need a solution.”
“I look forward to working with my colleagues on this committee to review the Green Bay
Prison Proposal as well as other meaningful, forwarding thinking solutions to addressing facility needs,” said Rep. Steffen.
Rep. Steffen will be joining Rep. Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh) and Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver
Dam) as the Assembly appointees to this committee.
