TO A NEW COUNTY EFFORT TO
RETHINK JUVENILE JUSTICE.
THIS MONTH, THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY
EXECUTIVE PROPOSED A NEARLY $42
MILLION MAKEOVER OF HIS COUNTY'S
JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER TO
HOUSE YOUTH OFFENDERS WHO ARE
CRUNTLYCURRENTLY HOUSED AT PRISONS.
IT INCLUDES CARE AND PROGRAMMING
AIMED AT REDUCING RECIDIVISM AND
RETURNING YOUTH TO THEIR
COMMUNITIES WITH SKILLS THEY
NEED TO SUCCEED.
THE PROPOSAL IS DESIGNED TO
BUILD ON WHAT THE COUNTY SAYS IS
ITS APPROACH TO THE YOUTH
JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT PROMOTES
RACIAL AND ECONOMIC EQUITY.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY SUPERVISOR
NICHOLSON SIGNED A RESOLUTION
DECLARING RACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH
CRISIS.
SHE WEIGHS IN WITH US TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF
MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S
SUBMISSION FOR THIS CARE CENTER
FOR YOUTH OFFENDERS?
>> WELL, FREDERICA, I
WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THIS
MEASURE.
A SINGLE INSTITUTION IS A ONE
SIZE FITS ALL MODEL THAT DOESN'T
WORK FOR THE CHILDREN OF
MILWAUKEE COUNTY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE
PARTNER WITH THE STATE AND AGREE
TO OPERATE LOCAL FACILITIES
WHILE THEY GIVE US THE FREEDOM
TO IMPLEMENT LOCAL SOLUTIONS.
WE HAVE ALREADY BEAT THE STATE
AT REFORMING CRIMINAL JUSTICE
PRACTICES FOR YOUTH.
AND SINCE 2011 WE'VE LOOKED
BEYOND DETENTION AND INSTEAD
LOOKED TO DEVELOP A CONTINUUM OF
SERVICES FOR YOUTH AND FAMILY SO
THEY NO LONGER NEED THE SYSTEM,
THEY CAN LEAVE THE SYSTEM AND
REENGAGE WITH THEIR PEERS.
>> SO THAT SAID, JUVENILE
INMATES WOULD BE TRANSFERRED
FROM LINCOLN HILLS AND COPPER
LAKE DETENTION CENTERS AND THE
TREATMENT WOULD FOCUS ON
TREATMENT.
HOW WOULD THIS BE DIFFERENT FROM
CURRENT PRACTICE THE A THE YOUTH
PRISONS?
>> WE NO LONGER WANT TO HANDCUFF
OUR CHILDREN TO A SYSTEM THAT
DOESN'T WORK FOR THEM.
INSTEAD, WE WANT TO USE
EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO HELP
OUR YOUTH.
THAT MEANS PROVIDING GREENSPACES
SO THAT THEY CAN RECONNECT WITH
NATURE.
IT MEANS PROVIDING A LARGER
STAFF TO CHILD RATIO SO NONE
FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
IT MEANS IMPLEMENTING EDUCATION,
TREATMENT AND PROGRAMMING TO GET
AT THE ROOT OF WHY OUR CHILDREN
FIRST MET THE SYSTEM AND WHAT
THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
DON'T REOWE FUND.
>> WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION IN
MILWAUKEE TO THIS PROPOSAL ON
THE PART OF THE COUNTY?
>> WELL, TO OUR PROPOSAL AROUND
YOUTH JUSTICE FACILITIES, THIS
IS BEEN A LOT OF SUPPORT.
WE ARE ALREADY OPERATING MANY
YOUTH JUSTICE FACILITIES AND
WE'RE UTILIZING THIS MODERN
APPROACH.
SO RATHER THAN BUILD A NEW
FACILITY, WE ARE RENOVATING,
UPGRADING WHAT WE'RE ALREADY
DOING AND BUILDING UPON THE
SUCCESSES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
>> HOW DOES THIS PROPOSAL
DOVETAIL WITH DECLARING RACISM A
PUBLIC CRISIS?
>> I NEED TO FIRST EXPLAIN WHAT
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM SEE.
MANY PEOPLE SEE IT AS A FEW BAD
APPLES.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT AN APPLE TREE
WHOSE ROOTS ARE PERMANENT
NATURING THE SYSTEM, OUR COURTS,
OUR SCHOOLS, THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
A BLACK PERSON AND A WHITE
PERSON CAN COMMIT THE SAME
CRIME.
LET'S USE DRUG ABUSE AS AN
EXAMPLE.
THE BLACK PERSON IS HR MORE
LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED BECAUSE
THE POLICE ARE ALREADY IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES AT A
DISPROPORTIONATE RATE.
IF THEY ARE BOTH ARRESTED, THE
BLACK INDIVIDUAL MAY BE MORE
LIKELY TO SIT IN JAIL BECAUSE HE
CAN'T MEET CASH BAIL.
OR THE WHITE INDIVIDUAL MAY BE
DIRECTED TO DRUG COURT, WHERE
HE'LL RECEIVE TREATMENT INSTEAD
OF INCARCERATION.
AND IF THEY'RE BOTH SENTENCED TO
JAIL, DATA SHOWS THAT THAT BLACK
INDIVIDUAL WILL RECEIVE A 20%
HARSHER SENTENCE, ALREADY
CREATING BIASES AT EVERY CORNER.
SO IF THE MOMENT OF ARREST TO
THE TIME SPENT IN JAIL AND THE
ABILITY TO GET OUT AND REENTER
SOCIETY, PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE
ALREADY AT A DISADVANTAGE.
AND THAT'S INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
THAT'S THE SYSTEM WE'RE TRYING
TO REFORM AND PROVIDE FOR OUR
CHILDREN SO THAT THEY CAN DO
BETTER.
>> NOW, THE NEW APPROACH IN
MILWAUKEE WOULD EXPAND
PROGRAMMING THAT ACCORDING TO
COUNTY EXECUTIVE CHRIS ABELE
VALIDATES AND VALUES EACH
YOUTH'S CULTURE, RACE AND
ETHNICITY.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT IN YOUR
MIND?
>> MILWAUKEE COUNTY DOESN'T AIM
TO PROVIDE BASIC SERVICES.
WE AIM TO PROVIDE EXTRAORDINARY
SERVICES THAT MEET THE PEOPLE
WHERE THEY ARE.
SERVICES THAT CREATE AN
ENVIRONMENT FOR ON EVERYONE TO
THRIVE AND TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT
LIFE, REGARDLESS OF RACE,
REGARDLESS OF THEIR COLOR.
AND BY AFFIRMING OUR VALUES TO
ADDRESS RACISM, AFFIRMING OUR
VALUES TO SAY WE CARE ABOUT OUR
CHILDREN, THAT ALONE IS THE
FIRST STEP INIC IN MAKING SURE THAT
THEY WILL HAVE THE TOOLS THEY
NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL ADULTS.
>> GREAT.
SUPERVISOR NICHOLSON, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR