Crowley Says GBCI Closing Needs Lawmaker Input

Governor-elect David Crowley says closing the Green Bay Correctional Institution will require working with legislators and the community.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Criminal Justice

Crowley Says GBCI Closing Needs Lawmaker Input

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Should Wisconsin spend more to close its aging prisons even if it takes longer?

Governor-elect David Crowley said closing GBCI will require working with legislators and the community, after Gov. Evers pushed the target closing date back to at least 2032. Evers had hoped to close the prison by 2029.

Why it matters

Further delays on the project will push back the GBCI closing date and raise costs, according to the reporting. Evers blamed Republicans in the Legislature for slowing the project, which Crowley's approach will need to address across Wisconsin's correctional system.

The Green Bay Correctional Institution closing has been pushed back to at least 2032 from the original 2029 target. Estimated costs for the overall system overhaul have risen 80 percent, and no revised budget or final timeline has been set.

The players

David Crowley

David Crowley is Wisconsin's governor-elect who will take office with responsibility for the state's correctional system and the GBCI closing plan.

Tony Evers

Tony Evers is the current Wisconsin governor who set the original 2029 GBCI closing target and later revised it to at least 2032.

The details

Crowley said the work includes looking at probation and parole as well as the state's prisons, noting that Wisconsin keeps people on probation and parole longer than most communities nationally. Last week's Democratic trifecta means some people working on the project with state budget money will leave Madison at the start of the year.

Nearly two years before the article: Evers expressed hope to close GBCI by 2029.
Last month (October 2026): Evers pushed the GBCI closing date back to at least 2032.
Early November 2026: Democratic trifecta took effect; Rep. Ben Franklin and State Sen. Andre Jacques departed Madison.
Start of 2027: Some project workers funded by state budget money leave Madison.

Legal Context

Wisconsin's plan to close Green Bay Correctional Institution and replace it with smaller regional facilities dates to 2019 and has repeatedly been delayed. The latest slip to at least 2032 extends a pattern of timelines moving later as overhaul costs climb.

Delays to the GBCI closing mean the prison remains open longer, affecting staffing, inmate placement, and budget decisions for Wisconsin residents. Probation and parole policy changes Crowley has signaled could affect people under state supervision.

The takeaway

The GBCI closing timeline has slipped from 2029 to at least 2032, so residents should watch how the incoming administration engages lawmakers and the community on the plan. Costs and timelines for overhauls like this tend to rise when delays accumulate.