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Wisconsin
Political repression plays out state by state — shaped by local institutions, prosecutors, and movements for defense. These are the documented political prisoners and cases the census holds for Wisconsin.
434Documented
2In custody
130Released
1Awaiting trial
Eras of repression in Wisconsin
Where Wisconsin’s entries fall across the census’s historical eras.
1940s 250
1930s 47
1910s 33
1960s 23
1970s 22
2020s 19
Recent dashboard entries from Wisconsin
The newest published events and reporting located in Wisconsin, updated automatically from the live dashboard.
Arrest
A man is arrested dousing an Appleton courthouse Pride flag with gasoline
Protest
About 100 rally outside Ridglan Farms, calling for release of the last ~650 beagles and the facility's closure
Protest
A May Day march from Voces de la Frontera to the Federal Building in Milwaukee
Arrest
Palestinian-American community leader Salah Sarsour, a longtime green-card holder, detained by ICE in Milwaukee; rights groups call it retaliation for his pro-Palestinian advocacy
Protest
Hundreds line State Road and Losey Boulevard for a 'No Kings' rally
Arrest
Wayne Hsiung and three activists charged with four felonies each over an "open rescue" of 22 beagles from Ridglan Farms
Prosecution
Milwaukee judge Hannah Dugan is found guilty of obstructing ICE agents
Prosecution
Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was convicted of felony obstruction for helping an undocumented man avoid ICE agents at her courthouse
Documented cases
434 entries in the census — every one stays in the record, whether the case is open or closed.
David Fine
Released
David Sylvan Fine was an 18-year-old University of Wisconsin-Madison student in 1970 and one of the four-man N...
Jerry Gardner
Released
Jerry Gardner was a 24-year-old Marquette University graduate student and one of the Milwaukee 14. He served a...
William Gessert
Released
William Gessert was a farmer from Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. William Gessert was sentenced to five years in...
Fernando González Llort
Released
One of the Cuban Five — Cuban intelligence officers convicted in 2001 in Miami of conspiracy to act as unregis...
Bob Graf
Released
Bob Graf was a 25-year-old editor of The Catholic Radical and one of the Milwaukee 14. After serving 14 months...
Judy Greenspan
Released
Judy Greenspan was one of four University of Wisconsin–Madison activists arrested on May 4, 1971 following a d...
James Groppi
Released
James Groppi was a Catholic priest and civil rights organizer in Milwaukee who worked with the NAACP Youth Cou...
James Harney
Released
Father James Harney was a 28-year-old Catholic priest of the Boston Archdiocese and one of the Milwaukee 14. A...
Jon Higgenbotham
Released
Jon Higgenbotham was a 27-year-old minister and one of the Milwaukee 14. He served 14 months in Wisconsin stat...
Ashton L. Howard
Released
Ashton L. Howard, 27, was indicted on federal charges of obstructing a law enforcement officer during a civil...
Donna Howard-Hastings
Released
Donna Howard-Hastings took part with Tom Howard-Hastings in the 1996 Laurentian Shield pole-cutting action at...
Alfred Janicke
Released
Father Alfred Janicke was a Catholic priest of the Saint Paul, Minnesota Archdiocese and one of the Milwaukee...
Gillam Kerley
Released
Executive director of the Committee Against Registration and the Draft. Indicted Nov. 1982 by a grand jury in...
Katie Kloth
Released
Krow is an environmental and indigenous rights activist who faced charges stemming from a June 2013 Penokee De...
Anthony Krohn
Released
Felon-in-possession of firearm during June 2020 Madison protests. Sentence: 60 months federal prison. Verified...
John LaForge
Released
On August 10, 1984 LaForge and Barbara Katt walked into the Sperry Defense Systems plant at Eagan, Minnesota d...
James Larson
Released
James Larson was a brick maker from Barronet, Wisconsin. James Larson was sentenced to fifteen months in priso...
Earl Leverette
Released
Earl Leverette (also spelled Levrettes) was a member of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin chapter of the Black Panther...
Jeff Leys
Released
Jeff Leys was arrested for trespass at Project ELF, the U.S. Navy's extremely-low-frequency submarine command...
Elmer Luchterhand
Released
Elmer Luchterhand, who used the name Elmer Lochner, was a Wisconsin Communist organizer, journalist and later...
Grace Martin
Released
Grace Martin is an activist from Wisconsin who was arrested on March 5, 2023 at the Atlanta Public Safety Trai...
Doug Marvy
Released
Doug Marvy was a 27-year-old draft-resistance organizer and one of the Milwaukee 14. He served 14 months in Wi...
Sonia Mason
Released
Sonia Mason was a Young Communist League organizer in Milwaukee. She was arrested during the March 6, 1930 une...
Scott Mathern-Jacobson
Released
Scott Mathern-Jacobson was arrested for trespass at Project ELF, the U.S. Navy's extremely-low-frequency subma...
Institutions in Wisconsin
Prisons, jails, and detention centers in Wisconsin that appear in the census’s case files.
FCI OxfordOxford, Wisconsin
11 cases
Milwaukee House of CorrectionMilwaukee, Wisconsin
11 cases
Dane County JailMadison, Wisconsin
8 cases
Ashland County JailAshland, Wisconsin
5 cases
Dane County Circuit Court
2 cases
Wisconsin state prisonMilwaukee, Wisconsin
2 cases
Wisconsin State PrisonWaupun, Wisconsin
2 cases
U.S. Federal Custom House Jail, MilwaukeeMilwaukee, Wisconsin
1 case