The Dane County Task Force on Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System
Identifying the elephant in the room
Identifying the elephant in the room
in the Wisconsin Justice System, composed of individuals inside and outside the criminal justice system. After it released its report on its findings and
recommendations in February 2008, the Dane County Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) decided to take up the implicit challenge in the report for counties
to work in this area. It petitioned County Executive Kathleen Falk to establish the Dane County Task Force on Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System,
which Falk did and appointed the task force members in September 2008.
The task force, whose composition includes people inside and outside the system, is co-chaired by Laurie Mlatawou, a third-year law student and Celia
Jackson, a lawyer by education and practice who currently is the secretary of the Wis. Dept. of Regulation & Licensing. For each of the co-chairs, this issue of
racial disparities has a priority in their lives.
“This is an issue that I’ve been addressing my entire legal career and I graduated from law school in 1980,” Jackson said during an interview with The
Capital City Hues. “On a number of different fronts, it has been a constant conversation and a constant challenge on the disparity within the criminal justice
system across the board.”
“For me, this work comes from my heart,” Mlatawou added. “This is the reason I went to law school. I’m getting ready to graduate from law school and this is
the reason I am working on racial justice issues. It all stems from my level of care for these issues, how they affect my own family, how they affect people I know
and how they affect our entire community.”
Since September, the task force has been busy collecting data and testimonials as a committee and through its subcommittees. They have taken a
comprehensive review. “Not only is it a complex issue, but there are many stages of the criminal justice process where there is a chance for the disparity to show
up,” Jackson said. “Some of the stages we are looking at are pre-arrests, arrests, pre-charging, charging, the plea bargaining process, sentencing and then post-
sentencing including the corrections and community corrections with probation and parole and re-entry. That’s a lot of different stages for disparity to show up. I
think the disparity shows up at each stage of the process.”
For the most part, the task force has been studying data and receiving testimony from experts in the criminal justice field. “We’ve done a lot of work
interviewing people from the DAs to the public defenders to judges to people working in diversion programs, people working in drug and mental health treatment
programs, people working for community-based organizations such as Madison-area Urban Ministry and other players in the system,” Mlatawou said. “We’ve been
shuffling back and forth to get a picture of how the system works and where the collaborations are working and where they may need some strengthening. We are
looking at the programs that are in place now that address racial disparities or have the potential to address them and also what programs are not yet in place.
We’re trying to identify ways that we can actually tinker with the system to bring these numbers down as quickly as possible.”
Equally important to the task force members is getting information and testimony from people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system or are
concerned about the issue. On March 16, the task force held the first of three public hearings on the issue in Sun Prairie. Over 50 people turned out for the
session, some to give testimony and some to merely listen.
“We’d like to incorporate as much of the information as we can that we get from public hearings into our actual recommendations because I think when we
put a human face on these horrific numbers that we are dealing with, things look a little more urgent,” Mlatawou observed. “And when you hear directly from the
community about what is happening, it makes it more real and it clarifies the issues even more. So we hope to incorporate as much information as we can into
our actual report to the county.”
For Jackson, having community members come out to give testimony not only educates the task force members about what is going on, but it also allows
community members to educate each other. “I think this is not just an issue that impacts the people who are directly affected,” Jackson emphasized. “I think it
impacts us all. In order for us to have a really good working product, I think we need to hear from a broad cross-section of people. There are people who feel it
really doesn’t impact them. There are people who have a particular set of views on what is actually happening in the criminal justice system. Sometimes those
are based on misunderstandings on what really happened to the system and being a little bit removed from what happened to the system. So I think by having
the chance to come out and being engaged in the dialogue, it will open up people’s eyes because they will have a chance to listen.:
“At the initial public hearing that we had in Sun Prairie, there were a lot of people who came out and just listened to what other people were saying,”
Jackson continued. “One of the things that I believe has the potential to really occur after that hearing is that the city of Sun Prairie will look to see how they can
be engaged more in a dialogue with some of the residents of their community so they can get a better understanding on what types of things people have
encountered and experiences that they have had because I think sometimes those are far removed or people want to turn a blind-eye and not believe they exist
because this is 2009 and those things don’t happen. Those things do still happen and so, it is only when people begin to talk to one another that we get a better
chance to see what is actually happening out there. So really having people come out and share their stories and for people to come out and listen and be
engaged with people that don’t necessarily look like them really has a value that I can’t put a measure on, but it really opens up people’s eyes to what is going
on in the community.”
It is of the utmost importance to Jackson and Mlatawou that they hear from everyone and so they have tried to make the public hearings as accommodating
as possible. “There will be ways for people to get their information to us without necessarily being recorded or being on camera,” Mlatawou said. “People will be
able to make choices as to how they would like to address us. And we have made an agreement with city cable that will allow people to remain anonymous and
not be photographed and yet still communicate to the taskforce.”
“Everyone doesn’t necessarily feel comfortable speaking at this type of forum,” Jackson added. “Then people can write. They can share their stories with us
in writing so we at least have a chance to hear what it is that they have to say and so that information can be included in what we ultimately do. We recognize
that everyone doesn’t necessarily have a comfort level in getting up and speaking in front of a crowd. So there will be some other forums available for people to
communicate and share their stories. And people don’t have to give their full names when they speak.”
The task force expects to complete its report in July and will then submit it to the county executive, the Dane County Board and others. They then hope to
keep a semblance of the task force ongoing to monitor the progress the county makes in implementing the recommendations. “Certainly the disparities aren’t
going to disappear quickly,” Jackson emphasized. “But I think we need to be constantly involved in this conversation. And it is a conversation not just for the
systemic people, those who work in corrections or work in the criminal justice system. It is a conversation for the community at-large as well.”
The community needs to continue to talk about it so the elephant doesn’t “disappear” in the room once more.
There are two upcoming public hearings scheduled, Thursday, April 16 5-7 pm at Centro Guadalupe (Catholic Multicultural Center) 1862 Beld St. and
Wednesday, May 27, 5-7 pm, Warner Park Community Center, 1625 Northport Drive. Both will have Spanish interpreters available.
recommendations in February 2008, the Dane County Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) decided to take up the implicit challenge in the report for counties
to work in this area. It petitioned County Executive Kathleen Falk to establish the Dane County Task Force on Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System,
which Falk did and appointed the task force members in September 2008.
The task force, whose composition includes people inside and outside the system, is co-chaired by Laurie Mlatawou, a third-year law student and Celia
Jackson, a lawyer by education and practice who currently is the secretary of the Wis. Dept. of Regulation & Licensing. For each of the co-chairs, this issue of
racial disparities has a priority in their lives.
“This is an issue that I’ve been addressing my entire legal career and I graduated from law school in 1980,” Jackson said during an interview with The
Capital City Hues. “On a number of different fronts, it has been a constant conversation and a constant challenge on the disparity within the criminal justice
system across the board.”
“For me, this work comes from my heart,” Mlatawou added. “This is the reason I went to law school. I’m getting ready to graduate from law school and this is
the reason I am working on racial justice issues. It all stems from my level of care for these issues, how they affect my own family, how they affect people I know
and how they affect our entire community.”
Since September, the task force has been busy collecting data and testimonials as a committee and through its subcommittees. They have taken a
comprehensive review. “Not only is it a complex issue, but there are many stages of the criminal justice process where there is a chance for the disparity to show
up,” Jackson said. “Some of the stages we are looking at are pre-arrests, arrests, pre-charging, charging, the plea bargaining process, sentencing and then post-
sentencing including the corrections and community corrections with probation and parole and re-entry. That’s a lot of different stages for disparity to show up. I
think the disparity shows up at each stage of the process.”
For the most part, the task force has been studying data and receiving testimony from experts in the criminal justice field. “We’ve done a lot of work
interviewing people from the DAs to the public defenders to judges to people working in diversion programs, people working in drug and mental health treatment
programs, people working for community-based organizations such as Madison-area Urban Ministry and other players in the system,” Mlatawou said. “We’ve been
shuffling back and forth to get a picture of how the system works and where the collaborations are working and where they may need some strengthening. We are
looking at the programs that are in place now that address racial disparities or have the potential to address them and also what programs are not yet in place.
We’re trying to identify ways that we can actually tinker with the system to bring these numbers down as quickly as possible.”
Equally important to the task force members is getting information and testimony from people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system or are
concerned about the issue. On March 16, the task force held the first of three public hearings on the issue in Sun Prairie. Over 50 people turned out for the
session, some to give testimony and some to merely listen.
“We’d like to incorporate as much of the information as we can that we get from public hearings into our actual recommendations because I think when we
put a human face on these horrific numbers that we are dealing with, things look a little more urgent,” Mlatawou observed. “And when you hear directly from the
community about what is happening, it makes it more real and it clarifies the issues even more. So we hope to incorporate as much information as we can into
our actual report to the county.”
For Jackson, having community members come out to give testimony not only educates the task force members about what is going on, but it also allows
community members to educate each other. “I think this is not just an issue that impacts the people who are directly affected,” Jackson emphasized. “I think it
impacts us all. In order for us to have a really good working product, I think we need to hear from a broad cross-section of people. There are people who feel it
really doesn’t impact them. There are people who have a particular set of views on what is actually happening in the criminal justice system. Sometimes those
are based on misunderstandings on what really happened to the system and being a little bit removed from what happened to the system. So I think by having
the chance to come out and being engaged in the dialogue, it will open up people’s eyes because they will have a chance to listen.:
“At the initial public hearing that we had in Sun Prairie, there were a lot of people who came out and just listened to what other people were saying,”
Jackson continued. “One of the things that I believe has the potential to really occur after that hearing is that the city of Sun Prairie will look to see how they can
be engaged more in a dialogue with some of the residents of their community so they can get a better understanding on what types of things people have
encountered and experiences that they have had because I think sometimes those are far removed or people want to turn a blind-eye and not believe they exist
because this is 2009 and those things don’t happen. Those things do still happen and so, it is only when people begin to talk to one another that we get a better
chance to see what is actually happening out there. So really having people come out and share their stories and for people to come out and listen and be
engaged with people that don’t necessarily look like them really has a value that I can’t put a measure on, but it really opens up people’s eyes to what is going
on in the community.”
It is of the utmost importance to Jackson and Mlatawou that they hear from everyone and so they have tried to make the public hearings as accommodating
as possible. “There will be ways for people to get their information to us without necessarily being recorded or being on camera,” Mlatawou said. “People will be
able to make choices as to how they would like to address us. And we have made an agreement with city cable that will allow people to remain anonymous and
not be photographed and yet still communicate to the taskforce.”
“Everyone doesn’t necessarily feel comfortable speaking at this type of forum,” Jackson added. “Then people can write. They can share their stories with us
in writing so we at least have a chance to hear what it is that they have to say and so that information can be included in what we ultimately do. We recognize
that everyone doesn’t necessarily have a comfort level in getting up and speaking in front of a crowd. So there will be some other forums available for people to
communicate and share their stories. And people don’t have to give their full names when they speak.”
The task force expects to complete its report in July and will then submit it to the county executive, the Dane County Board and others. They then hope to
keep a semblance of the task force ongoing to monitor the progress the county makes in implementing the recommendations. “Certainly the disparities aren’t
going to disappear quickly,” Jackson emphasized. “But I think we need to be constantly involved in this conversation. And it is a conversation not just for the
systemic people, those who work in corrections or work in the criminal justice system. It is a conversation for the community at-large as well.”
The community needs to continue to talk about it so the elephant doesn’t “disappear” in the room once more.
There are two upcoming public hearings scheduled, Thursday, April 16 5-7 pm at Centro Guadalupe (Catholic Multicultural Center) 1862 Beld St. and
Wednesday, May 27, 5-7 pm, Warner Park Community Center, 1625 Northport Drive. Both will have Spanish interpreters available.
By Jonathan Gramling
What is it that they say? Everyone knows that the elephant is in the room, one can’t help but notice
because of the enormity of the elephant. Yet for any number of reasons, people are hesitant to formally
acknowledge its presence. An elephant that the African American and other communities of color have
noticed for years is the racial disparity of those caught up in the criminal justice system. According to a
Dane County press release, “In 2006, African American men from Dane County were 21 times more
likely to be in prison than White men, and 12 times more likely to be under community supervision,
meaning that nearly half (47%) of Dane County’s Black men in their late twenties were under the
supervision of the Department of Corrections.”
Yet while this elephant in the room has impacted a majority of African American families, be it a
sibling, cousin or childhood friend who is caught up in the system, the Dane County community, overall,
has acted as if this pressing issue that negatively impacts the African American community doesn’t exist.
It is the elephant in the room.
In March 2007, Governor James Doyle established the Commission on Reducing Racial Disparities
What is it that they say? Everyone knows that the elephant is in the room, one can’t help but notice
because of the enormity of the elephant. Yet for any number of reasons, people are hesitant to formally
acknowledge its presence. An elephant that the African American and other communities of color have
noticed for years is the racial disparity of those caught up in the criminal justice system. According to a
Dane County press release, “In 2006, African American men from Dane County were 21 times more
likely to be in prison than White men, and 12 times more likely to be under community supervision,
meaning that nearly half (47%) of Dane County’s Black men in their late twenties were under the
supervision of the Department of Corrections.”
Yet while this elephant in the room has impacted a majority of African American families, be it a
sibling, cousin or childhood friend who is caught up in the system, the Dane County community, overall,
has acted as if this pressing issue that negatively impacts the African American community doesn’t exist.
It is the elephant in the room.
In March 2007, Governor James Doyle established the Commission on Reducing Racial Disparities
•Laurie Mlatawou (l) and Celia Jackson are co-chairs
of the Task Force on Racial Disparities
of the Task Force on Racial Disparities