Reports & Books

Employment and the Safety Net During the Pandemic

Wisconsin’s unemployment situation has rebounded, but participation in government programs remains elevated.
By Angela Rachidi
October 2021

Occupational Licensing in Wisconsin: A Roadmap for Reform

In a joint brief with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, we lay out the problems with occupational licensing in Wisconsin and what meaningful reforms can be enacted.
By Julie Grace and Kyle Koenen
June 14, 2021

Ensuring Safety, Sobriety and Savings

The new age of electronic monitoring
By Patrick Hughes
May 2021

Statewide Criminal Justice Poll

A majority of voters believe the state’s criminal justice system needs significant improvements, nearly three-quarters believe expungement law needs reform, among other findings.
April 7, 2021

Few marijuana offenders in prison

Incarceration is rare for pot-only convictions; coupled with municipal policies, Wisconsin has, in effect, decriminalized marijuana.
By Julie Grace
March 2021

Criminal Justice Reform Recommendations

The Wisconsin Criminal Justice Coalition, led by the Badger Institute, offers policy ideas for combating recidivism, fostering opportunity, saving taxpayer money and maintaining public safety in its second edition of Criminal Justice Reform Recommendations.
February 2021

Reforming Community Supervision

Review and recommendations
By Patrick Hughes
January 2021

Telehealth Changes

They're working and should be made permanent
By Julie Grace
December 2020

Year

2020

Just the Facts

A trilogy of reports looking at police use of force, police discipline, and violent crime
By Patrick Hughes and Julie Grace
November 2020

Year

2020

How to Make Police Discipline Fair, Quick, Transparent and Decisive

Disciplinary actions against police officers in Wisconsin’s largest cities, whether for use of force or anything else, are rare
By Patrick Hughes
October 2020

Year

2020

Improving Wisconsin Works Transition for low-income families

Parents with disabilities or health limitations often time out of the program or end up on disability insurance
By Angela Rachidi, Ph.D.
October 2020

Year

2020

Police Use of Force: How common is it?

A call for greater transparency
By Patrick Hughes
August 2020

Year

2020

Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System in Wisconsin

What we know thus far
By Mike Nichols, Patrick Hughes and Julie Grace
July 2020

Year

2020

The Cost of Shutting Down Wisconsin’s Economy

A statewide and county-by-county analysis
By Andrew Hanson
May 2020

Year

2020

A Primer on Occupational Licensing

What is occupational licensing, how does it affect employment and consumer costs, and what options exist for reform?
By Julie Grace and Collin Roth
January 2020

Year

2020

Wisconsin's Missing Rung

Policies linked to work are critical to lifting people out of poverty
By Angela Rachidi, Ph.D.
January 2020

Year

2020

Why hiring the previously incarcerated is good business

An employer handbook
By Julie Grace and Thomas Lyons
November 2019

Year

2019

Absence and Violation

Wisconsin licensing boards are routinely in violation of law requiring public representation
By Julie Grace
October 2019

Year

2019

Ex-Offenders Under Watch

Two studies look at Wisconsin's complex community corrections system and why many on supervision are failing
By Cecelia Klingele, Julie Grace and Patrick Hughes
July 2019

Year