“The consequences are pretty significant, affecting some of the most important aspects of somebody’s life, like their housing, education and employment,” Southerland said. “You know, those are pretty much the building blocks of a successful life. Talk about the punishment not fitting the crime. It’s a tremendous, life-altering change that’s permanent for a very temporary and fleeting criminal offense.”
This story was produced as part of an investigative reporting class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication under the direction of Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin Watch’s managing editor.