First, I am a pardoned ex-offender who did six months of a 5-year sentence, for my first and only offense, in federal prison, followed by probation. My crime was the possession of marijuana, an amount that fit inside a Quaker Oats container. My probation officer who did the pre-sentence report was stunned, but he was from Washington, D.C. and the court was in Texas.

While still on probation I used this experience to work with ex-offenders and vulnerable youth. I started the Dane County Volunteers in Probation program for juvenile delinquents. I worked with the Dane County Courts on bail reform. I visited people in prison and in jail. I organized the Halfwayhouse Federation of Wisconsin to include offenders and worked with the DOC to have purchase of services funds available to halfway-houses. I helped organize the Center for Representation's Reintegration Program to write laws to reduce discrimination against ex-offenders so they can re-enter free society and be successful.

Then I worked for WI-DOC for 18 years, so I know the programs. The first thing I will do is to rid of contractors. State employees will run every aspect of the DOC. The agency secretary will come from the ranks of managers who know corrections, instead of political cronies.

There will be a program to reduce the prison population by doing case reviews, especially of nonviolent drug offenders. Executive clemency will be a very active program. The caseloads will be reduced until we can safely secure all of the prisoners who require incarceration in Wisconsin. No more out-of-state prisoners. I know what a pardon is, because I received one from President Jimmy Carter.

I am a strong believer in community corrections and feel that re-entry programs are necessary to prevent recidivism. I also believe the ex-offender is an excellent choice to be trained a P&P agent. They know what needs to be done.

I will be instructing every agency to request the FTE required to provide the state will the programs we need.

In addition to being a pardoned ex-offender, I was also the chief union steward of the Wisconsin Professional Employees Council and represented many DOC employees who had grievances against the DOC, including wrongful termination