Governor Tony Evers’ April 2026 executive order creating the Commutation Advisory Board and naming eight appointees has drawn immediate fire from those concerned about victim impact, erosion of truth-in-sentencing, and early releases for serious offenders. The board reviews applications to shorten prison sentences, a process critics say risks turning Wisconsin’s justice system into another progressive experiment in leniency.
The picks lean heavily toward criminal justice reform advocates, defense perspectives, reentry activists, and figures with records of clashing with law-and-order priorities. While Evers’ office emphasizes balanced review and victim input, the composition raises legitimate questions about whether the board will prioritize “equity,” trauma-informed narratives, and reduced incarceration over deterrence, accountability, and public safety.
Judge Maryann Sumi
Served over 15 years on the Dane County Circuit Court before resigning in 2014. She was presiding judge in juvenile court and later chaired the Wisconsin Ethics Commission while maintaining a mediation/arbitration practice.
The red flag: In 2011, Sumi issued a high-profile ruling blocking and later voiding major parts of Gov. Scott Walker’s Act 10 collective bargaining reforms, citing open meetings violations. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled she had impermissibly usurped legislative authority and declared her orders void from the start. The decision was textbook judicial activism favoring union interests over democratically passed reforms aimed at fixing a budget crisis. Placing a judge with that history on a commutation board invites skepticism about neutral application of law versus policy-driven outcomes.
Attorney David Meany
Appointed Ashland County District Attorney by Gov. Scott Walker in 2019; served until resigning in 2023. Previously held senior legal roles at the Wisconsin DOJ (Division of Legal Services administrator) and DATCP (chief legal counsel).
The complication: In 2023, Meany declined to charge former Democratic State Sen. Janet Bewley in a fatal crash that killed a mother and her young child. Investigators and Meany cited insufficient evidence of criminal negligence or recklessness on Bewley’s part, even though she was on the phone with a journalist and recently had cataract surgery. Meany said the other driver’s excessive speed was a key factor. The decision drew attention given Bewley’s political profile, though no formal misconduct finding emerged.
Jerome Dillard
Co-founder and former executive director of EXPO Wisconsin (Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing), a group focused on reentry support, parole reform, voting rights restoration for felons, and reducing “mass incarceration.” Previously worked in reentry roles at JustDane, Wisconsin Resource Center, and Dane County Jail. Served on the state Council on Offender Reentry since 2015. Served time in Wisconsin and federal prisons for non-violent felonies (forgery and bail jumping in the 1990s).
The concern: Dillard’s advocacy explicitly frames parts of the system as oppressive and pushes for structural changes, including easier parole and civic restoration. EXPO materials and allied posts emphasize “ending mass incarceration” and criticize tough-on-crime rhetoric. Placing someone with this lived experience and ideological bent on a commutation board tilts toward leniency for offenders rather than rigorous public-safety review.
Noble Wray
Madison Police Department veteran; chief from 2004 to 2013. Led U.S. DOJ policing practices initiatives and trained agencies worldwide on “fair and impartial policing.” Served on Evers’ prior Pardon Advisory Board. Consulted on high-profile incidents including the Jacob Blake Kenosha shooting (concluded officers used appropriate force, a finding that disappointed some activists) and post-Ferguson/Baltimore reviews.
The lens: Wray was a reform-oriented voice who emphasized de-escalation and community trust. While not a “defund” advocate, his work aligns with the national policing reform wave that coincided with crime spikes in some areas.
Kathy Byrne Stilling
Eight years as an assistant state public defender; nearly 30 years in private criminal defense practice, handling state and federal cases. Brief service as Waukesha County Circuit Court judge (2010–2011).
The perspective: Long-time criminal defense practitioners are instinctively skeptical of prosecutorial power and sentencing severity. On commutations, this background could lead to expansive readings of mitigation or rehabilitation claims.
Jonathan Scharrer
Clinical professor and director of the Restorative Justice Project at UW Law School. Facilitates victim-initiated dialogues in high-level felonies, including homicide and sexual harm cases. Teaches RJ philosophy with emphasis on victims’ rights, offense dynamics, and trauma. Featured on 60 Minutes and CNN’s The Redemption Project. Served on national RJ advisory bodies.
The critique: Restorative justice in serious violent and sexual cases remains highly controversial. It pressures victims toward forgiveness narratives, dilutes accountability, and produces lighter consequences than traditional prosecution and sentencing. Applying this model to commutation recommendations for the most serious offenses is a flashpoint for those who believe certain crimes demand fixed, substantial punishment.
Geri Segal
28-year career at the Family Support Center in the Chippewa Valley, serving as executive director until retiring in 2026. The nonprofit provides counseling and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The role: Strong victim-services credentials. In a mixed board, this experience could provide a counterbalance emphasizing survivor impact, provided the process does not subordinate it to offender reentry or equity considerations common in modern victim advocacy.
Kat Kosmaule
Program and policy analyst at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. Previously, a child protection case manager in Columbia County. Background in trauma-informed care and “race-equity-inclusion-belonging” implementation.
The pattern: Typical of contemporary child welfare and social work bureaucracy. Emphasis on equity frameworks s is standard in progressive administrations but is often criticized as injecting identity politics and softening accountability in family and juvenile matters. Her presence adds another voice likely aligned with Evers’ administration priorities.
Evers’ board is heavy on reentry advocates (Dillard), restorative justice practitioners (Scharrer), defense perspectives (Stilling), reform-minded policing (Wray), and a judge with a documented history of blocking conservative reforms (Sumi). Meany offers some prosecutorial counterweight despite refusing to prosecute a sitting State Senator, and Segal brings victim-services experience. But the overall tilt aligns with the governor’s push to expand commutations and reduce prison populations, releasing criminals back onto the streets.
Evers continues to push forward with a plan to make it easier for criminals to get out of jail. Wisconsin families who expect sentences to mean something deserve transparency on how this board will operate. Early releases framed as compassion can quickly become revolving-door policies that erode deterrence and re-victimize communities. The proof will be in the recommendations that emerge later this summer and beyond.
