Tom Tiffany speaks at Mosinee Brewing Company. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Congressman Tom Tiffany held a news conference outside the Marathon County Courthouse on Thursday, calling for limited access to tablets and laptop computers for jail inmates.
The issue has become a talking point in the campaign for Governor after reports of Milwaukee County jail inmates using a tablet to intimidate or threaten victims and witnesses. Other inmates allegedly used the technology to view child pornography.
The Republican candidate says he wouldn’t allow that. “When someone has committed a violent crime, their victims should feel safe. The perpetrator of that crime should not be able to reach out and touch them.”
He isn’t completely opposed to the programs, especially for low-risk offenders. “If [inmates] want to pay for a tablet and use it to get themselves to a better place to reenter society, I’m fine with that. But for violent criminals like murderers or sex offenders- we will not be offering them tablets for the very reasons that I cited in Milwaukee County.”
During Tiffany’s remarks, one pedestrian tried to interrupt him by shouting obscenities as they walked on the nearby sidewalk. Tiffany continued, and no further disruptions occurred.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Tiffany’s opponent in the November Election, has released a statement indicating he is “demanding full accountability from everyone involved.”
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