Milwaukee Professionals Association

WISCONSIN LEGISLATORS REQUEST INCARCERATION TASK FORCE

HIGH AND DISPROPORTIONATE RATE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS

PHOTO
L-Right: Mary Glass – Campaign Neighborhood – CFNBA, Rep. Polly Williams, District 10, Neighborhood Youth, Ald. Joe Davis, District 2, Rep. Tamara Grigsby, District 18, Rep. Spencer Black, District 77-Madison, Robert Miranda – Spanish Journal, Rep. Barbara Toles – District 17, Rep. Frederick Kessler, District 12 and Senator Spencer Coggs, District 6 (photo by Harry Kemp)

Legislators request task force on African American incarceration rate
State Legislators Press Conference Tuesday, December 22, 2005 Milwaukee County Courthouse

Sixteen (16)legislators have called on Governor Doyle to create a task force to address the disproportionately high rate of incarceration of African Americans in Wisconsin. Several of those same legislators held a press conference recently outside the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

Recently, "The Black Commentator," named Wisconsin the worst state in America in which to be African American. This ranking was based on Wisconsin’s high incarceration rate of the Black population. Black residents only make up 5.7% of Wisconsin’s total population but account for 38.8% of the state’s incarcerated population, a rate 11.6 times higher than White Americans.

"The disproportionate incarceration rate is unacceptable," Representative Grigsby said. "It does not just affect those put in our prisons, it affects, their families and their communities. "We need to find out what is causing this disparity and learn what we can do to diminish its effects.

"The plantation system is now the prison system," Sen. Coggs said. "The prison-industrial complex promotes a self-defeating attempt at crime control where the revolving door of hopelessness turns faster and faster. "We have a myriad of problems that we need to solve in the Black community. And the incarceration rate is a priority."

A study at the University of Wisconsin found that White Americans are primarily sentenced to prison for violent offenses where as Black Americans were sentenced for drug offenses.

"These are nonviolent criminals that are filling up our prisons. None of us favors releasing violent criminals or compromising public safety. "We are, however, very concerned about reducing the prison population and the burden on taxpayers and communities." Rep Black concluded.

Mary Glass – Chair/CEO was one of the leaders of Milwaukee that was present to support the cause.

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