Who can release felons from prison early?

To answer that, I need to know the laws governing parole and release. There are two laws that apply because of a change in 1999. According to Wisconsin law, any inmate who committed the offense before Dec. 13, 1999, will be granted parole when 2/3rds of the sentence is served unless there is clear, current evidence of a threat to the public or a refusal to follow medical and treatment recommendations.

Under the Truth-in Sentencing laws, any person who commits a felony offense on or after Dec. 31, 1999, and is sentenced to at least one year of prison is not eligible for parole for the time sentenced to be in prison but is after.

The Wisconsin Parole Commission is the final authority for granting discretionary paroles or early release from prison for crimes committed before Dec. 31, 1999. There is no parole or early release from prison after Dec.31, 1999. These are the rules in Wisconsin.

I am writing this because of the misleading and false campaign ads of the Republicans. The implication of the ads is that a felon is being released who has not changed in any way in 20-plus years or more. The ad implies that the governor or any elected official alone can release a felon. This is not true in Wisconsin.