MADISON, Wis. — Several ads have criticized Gov. Tony Evers over his record on parole and pardons, including one highlighting the parole of a convicted murderer who was released in 2019. That ad is the subject of News 3 Now’s latest Reality Check.
“The judge called it the most heinous crime he’d ever seen,” said Jeanine Peters, the sister of Kathleen Beletsky — who was killed by her husband in the 1980s.
“The killer was sent to jail for life. But Tony Evers’ parole commission set him free,” Peters said in the ad.
This is true — but provides an opportunity to explain how parole works in Wisconsin. Carl Beletsky, the convicted murderer, was subject to parole rules that were in place before 2000; he would become eligible for parole after serving 25% of his sentence and needed to meet criteria, like that his time served was an adequate punishment and that he did not pose a risk to the public.
Generally, under those pre-2000 rules, prisoners would have to be released after serving two-thirds of their prison sentence — though not the case for those serving life sentences.
On Dec. 31, 1999, Wisconsin’s truth-in-sentencing law went into effect, which allowed judges to set distinct periods of incarcerated initial confinement, followed by a set time under extended supervision.
The pre-2000 process has drawn recent criticism over the amount of input that victims’ families have in the parole hearing process.
In the ad, Peters said she did not know that Beletsky was released on parole. This mirrors concerns from the Balsewicz family, who petitioned the governor in May to halt the release of Johanna Balsewicz’s murderer.
In that instance, Evers lobbied the chair of his parole commission to rescind the parole — which was eventually granted. In the letter Evers sent to the parole commission chair, he expressed concern over the lack of input the Balsewicz family received, and the governor later asked for the chair’s resignation.
The ad also claims that Evers has released hundreds of violent criminals during his time in office. Looking at data published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Evers’ parole commission released 461 prisoners in that discretionary parole window (more than 25% time served, but less than 67%). That is a little bit ahead of former Gov. Scott Walker’s pace — during his eight years in office, 663 prisoners were granted discretionary parole.
How we got here: The sources used in this Reality Check
The ad was paid for by a PAC affiliated with the Republican Governors Association and can be seen here.
An explanation of Wisconsin’s truth-in-sentencing law can be found on the Wisconsin Bar Association website here.
Information on Beletsky’s release can be found by running a search on the Department of Corrections website.
The Associated Press clipping that appears in the ad was published by the conservative outlet Wisconsin Right Now and can be found here.
News 3 Now’s coverage of the Balsewicz petition can be found here.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel data can be found here.
You can see more Reality Checks of political ads running locally here.
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