YWCA's Time to Talk at the Catholic Multicultural Center
Focusing on racial disparities in criminal
justice
Focusing on racial disparities in criminal
justice
school to prison pipeline,” Butler said. “We are going to be looking at discipline policies in the schools and how those then trickle out into this drama of you have
one thing that happens to you in school, it gets on your record and makes it harder for you to access alternatives when you are out of school.”
While it is Time to Talk about important racial justice issues affecting the community, the YWCA also recognizes that it is time to take action as well. “From
what we are doing, I see it as a united effort, but I also hope that people take it back to their jobs and use it as they develop policies and procedures,” Butler said.
“I hope that in that united effort people will take what they hear today and what they have heard at the summit and what comes out of these community
conversations and really bring that back to the work that they do.” There is much work to be done.
For more information on the YWCA’s racial justice efforts, contact Colleen Butler at -1436 or e-mail her at racialjustice@ywcamadison.org
one thing that happens to you in school, it gets on your record and makes it harder for you to access alternatives when you are out of school.”
While it is Time to Talk about important racial justice issues affecting the community, the YWCA also recognizes that it is time to take action as well. “From
what we are doing, I see it as a united effort, but I also hope that people take it back to their jobs and use it as they develop policies and procedures,” Butler said.
“I hope that in that united effort people will take what they hear today and what they have heard at the summit and what comes out of these community
conversations and really bring that back to the work that they do.” There is much work to be done.
For more information on the YWCA’s racial justice efforts, contact Colleen Butler at -1436 or e-mail her at racialjustice@ywcamadison.org
By Jonathan Gramling
To paraphrase a well-known African proverb, it takes a community to achieve racial justice. And over
the course of many years, the YWCA has been a constant voice in raising racial justice issues through its
Racial Justice Summits and Time to Talk series. And while the issue of racial justice affects almost every
facet of community life, through the participation of its participants, the YWCA has decided to focus its
efforts on racial disparities in criminal justice.
On November 20, about 70 community representatives from many professions gathered at the
Catholic Multicultural Center as a part of the Time to Talk series to discuss action steps the
representatives would like to take to end the disparity.
“This is really part of the initiative coming out of our Racial Justice Summit,” said Colleen Butler,
YWCA community outreach and racial justice program manager. “Our summit this year focused on racial
disparities in criminal justice in Wisconsin and our discussion today is based on the discussion that we
had at the end of the summit. People had about a day and a half of information and we had people
sitting at tables, mixing up judges, law enforcement and attorneys and community members and
advocates, all talking about what they saw as their concerns, who could help overcome them and what
our next action steps would be.”
The racially diverse audience sat in clusters of 8-10 people to discuss the results of the summit in
order to brainstorm for action steps that need to be taken and to make a commitment to get something
done. And at the end of the session, the results of each group were presented to the group as a whole.
Among the groups recommendations were empowering communities through restorative justice programs
that have an intentional-preventative link to the community; more support from the community for
increased social capital in the area of mental health services and improved agency pre-arrest
communication and evidence-based sentencing criteria.
One of the biggest areas that people wanted to focus their efforts on was community education and
awareness. They proposed the creation of a youth study circles program, educational programs within
institutions and across society and a targeted media campaign to encourage attitudinal shifts in how the
issue is perceived.
Next year, the Racial Summit will continue to look at the racial disparities in the criminal justice
system. “It is going to be specifically focused on what has been know as the cradle to prison pipeline or
To paraphrase a well-known African proverb, it takes a community to achieve racial justice. And over
the course of many years, the YWCA has been a constant voice in raising racial justice issues through its
Racial Justice Summits and Time to Talk series. And while the issue of racial justice affects almost every
facet of community life, through the participation of its participants, the YWCA has decided to focus its
efforts on racial disparities in criminal justice.
On November 20, about 70 community representatives from many professions gathered at the
Catholic Multicultural Center as a part of the Time to Talk series to discuss action steps the
representatives would like to take to end the disparity.
“This is really part of the initiative coming out of our Racial Justice Summit,” said Colleen Butler,
YWCA community outreach and racial justice program manager. “Our summit this year focused on racial
disparities in criminal justice in Wisconsin and our discussion today is based on the discussion that we
had at the end of the summit. People had about a day and a half of information and we had people
sitting at tables, mixing up judges, law enforcement and attorneys and community members and
advocates, all talking about what they saw as their concerns, who could help overcome them and what
our next action steps would be.”
The racially diverse audience sat in clusters of 8-10 people to discuss the results of the summit in
order to brainstorm for action steps that need to be taken and to make a commitment to get something
done. And at the end of the session, the results of each group were presented to the group as a whole.
Among the groups recommendations were empowering communities through restorative justice programs
that have an intentional-preventative link to the community; more support from the community for
increased social capital in the area of mental health services and improved agency pre-arrest
communication and evidence-based sentencing criteria.
One of the biggest areas that people wanted to focus their efforts on was community education and
awareness. They proposed the creation of a youth study circles program, educational programs within
institutions and across society and a targeted media campaign to encourage attitudinal shifts in how the
issue is perceived.
Next year, the Racial Summit will continue to look at the racial disparities in the criminal justice
system. “It is going to be specifically focused on what has been know as the cradle to prison pipeline or
Top: YWCA’s Colleen Butler
Above right: Vivian Larkin (r) makes a point while
Officer Stephanie Bradley Wilson listens.
Above right: Vivian Larkin (r) makes a point while
Officer Stephanie Bradley Wilson listens.
