Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin and the WI DOJ Join Forces for Mapping Exercise

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections collaborated with Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin yesterday to help build awareness on the path crime victims face and the opportunities that arise to improve victim service delivery. 

Leading the exercise was Nela Kalpic, the State Director for Marsy’s Law in Wisconsin, and Elizabeth Lucas, Wisconsin DOC Office of Victim Services & Programs Director. Stakeholders from the criminal justice system and victim service organizations shared their insights that allowed attendees to further understand the post-conviction proceedings that are overseen by the DOC, “mapping” the journey of a victim through the criminal justice system.  

At each “touch point” of the criminal justice and post-conviction systems, attendees could see who victims have interacted with since the implementation of Marsy’s Law in 2020, and where there are areas in need of further progress. The exercise incorporated examples of post-conviction actions overseen by DOC that impact victims, such as the restitution processes, release notifications, revocations, supervision decisions, and programming opportunities, allowing participants to see how these actions work in practice. 

“Since the ratification five years ago, Marsy’s Law has provided strength and stability in challenging times. However, there are still areas to be re-examined, and still areas where we can make further progress,” said Nela Kalpic, Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin State Director. “The mapping exercises gave us an opportunity to remind attendees of what happens post-conviction, and highlight the importance of providing meaningful rights to crime victims throughout the entire criminal justice process.”