The Wisconsin Legislature recently enacted 2017 Wis. Act 235. The act, prepared without the input usually provided by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Judicial Council for laws affecting civil pro-cedure, makes substantial changes about which all civil litigators must be aware. The authors expect litigants and courts will face uncertainties and chal-lenges as they litigate under the new rules.

In Part 2 of the "Owning the Problem" series, the author summarizes the financial costs of mass incarceration and compares Wisconsin's prison costs and incarceration rates to those of nearby states. He then explains the social costs: to the imprisoned individuals, to their families, and to their communities.

Compensation for private-bar lawyers appointed to represent indigent criminal defendants is woefully inadequate – whether appointed by the SPD's Office or by the circuit courts. The author analyzes the problems with the publicly appointed attorney system and offers possible solutions.