Do No Harm
Department of Community Corrections
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Healthcare Decisions Belong to People, Not Probation
DO NO HARM is important because it addresses a life-or-death issue for people on supervision in Wisconsin.
Quick details: This is about limited government, safer communities, stronger families, and smarter spending. Healthcare decisions belong between a person and their doctor — not in the hands of probation or parole agents.
Here’s why:
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Keep Government in Its Proper Role
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Healthcare decisions should be made by individuals and their licensed medical providers — not government agents. Allowing probation and parole officers to override doctors is government overreach and undermines personal freedom.
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Protect Public Safety Through Treatment
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When people receive appropriate medical and mental health care, they are more likely to stay sober, stable, and law-abiding. Denying care increases the risk of relapse, crisis, and recidivism — which makes our communities less safe.
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Support Families and Communities
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Strong families are the foundation of strong communities. People who can access treatment are better able to work, parent, and contribute to their households. Denying them care tears families apart and passes costs onto the community.
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Use Taxpayer Dollars Wisely
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Wisconsin spends over $514 million a year incarcerating people for violations of probation, parole and extended supervision. Many of these violations are connected to untreated health needs. Providing access to care costs less than re-incarceration and is a smarter investment of taxpayer dollars.
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Uphold Individual Responsibility and Freedom
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People should be held accountable for their choices — but accountability also means having the opportunity to succeed. Government should not stand in the way of someone responsibly following a doctor’s orders to manage their health.
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Every individual should have the right to make their own medical and mental health decisions in consultation with licensed healthcare providers — not government agents.
Right now in Wisconsin, probation and parole officers can override, restrict, or deny people access to critical medical and mental health care, including:
-Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for substance use disorder
-Mental health counseling and support
-Doctor-prescribed treatment plans
This puts lives at risk, undermines public safety, and represents unnecessary government intrusion into private healthcare choices. Probation agents are not doctors, and supervision should not come at the cost of responsible medical care.
We call on Wisconsin lawmakers and the Department of Community Corrections to:
-End government interference in medical decisions.
-Healthcare choices must rest with patients and licensed providers — not probation or parole agents.
-Guarantee access to treatment.
-People should be able to follow their doctor’s orders to stay healthy, safe, and stable in the community.
-Adopt a “Do No Harm” approach.
-Support health and responsibility rather than policies that increase relapse, recidivism, and costly incarceration.
Protecting medical autonomy means:
-Stronger families— when people can access treatment, they can work, parent, and contribute to their households.
-Safer communities — proper care reduces relapse and recidivism.
-Smarter spending — it costs far less to support treatment than to send people back to prison for supervision violations.
Healthcare decisions belong to individuals and their doctors — not probation officers. It’s time to reduce government overreach, strengthen families, and use taxpayer dollars wisely.