Measure Eliminates Questions About Criminal History On Application For State Positions by Gilman Halsted Those pushing for changes in the criminal justice system say the civil service bill approved by the Legislature this week includes a provision that would help ex-felons get a fair shot at a state job. Opponents of the new bill say […]
Wisconsin Dems Push Measure For Free In-State College Tuition
Students Would Have To Work In Wisconsin For 3 Years After Graduation by Gilman Halsted Democratic state legislators are proposing a new college grant program that would cover the cost of tuition, books and housing at state schools for any resident who signs a pledge to work in Wisconsin for three years after graduation. Authors […]
Lifetime GPS Monitoring Of Sex Offenders At Issue In Federal Case
State Argues To Appeals Court That Lifetime Monitoring Isn’t A Form Of Punishment by Gilman Halsted A federal appeals court is considering a challenge to a state law requiring lifetime GPS monitoring for convicted sex predators. Lawyers for Michael Belleau argue the requirement amounts to retroactive punishment. The 72-year old Belleau spent 15 years in […]
Grant Will Work To Improve The Health Of People Released From Prison
By Gilman Halsted A group that advocates for overhauling the state’s prison system has received a $1 million grant to improve the health of former inmates after they’re released. The five-year grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program will link the 160 churches in the WISDOM network with public health experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison […]
Dane County Buying Equipment To Train Police To Diffuse Violence
Use-Of-Force Simulator Aims To Help Officers Avoid Use Of Weapons by Gilman Halsted The Dane County Sheriff’s Department plans to buy a use-of-force simulator to better train officers in how to de-escalate hostile situations before using a gun, taser or pepper spray. All police officers across the state get some training in de-escalation, but Dane […]
Parole Agents Would Be Allowed To Carry Guns Under New Bill
Many Agents Assert They Need To Be Armed When Tracking Down Repeat Parole Violators By Gilman Halsted Community corrections agents in Milwaukee are backing a bill that would allow them to carry guns on the job. Current law bars parole agents from carrying guns, but many agents say they need to carry firearms for protection […]
Advocates Push To Expand Family Drug Courts In Wisconsin
Program Currently Operates Only In Milwaukee by Gilman Halsted The success of a family drug treatment court in Milwaukee has prompted lawmakers to consider expanding the program to other parts of the state. The court in Milwaukee is the only one in Wisconsin to offer a non-criminal option for drug-addicted parents to win back custody […]
Libraries Work To Do A Better Job Helping Homeless
Library Computers Are Often First Point Of Contact For Jobs, Services By Gilman Halsted, WPR A group of Wisconsin librarians is hoping to find a better way to meet the needs of the homeless. A quick Google search of the words “Wisconsin libraries and the homeless” will bring up dozens of articles about the problems […]
Dane County Rethinks How It Deals With Teens Who Receive Citations
Young People Will Be Able To Work Off The Fine, Clear Their Record Under New Program by Gilman Halsted, WPR Dane County and the City of Madison are launching an ambitious restorative justice program aimed at reducing racial disparity in juvenile arrests and citations. Seventy-five percent of the citations that Madison police issue each month […]
Wisconsin Has Highest Black Unemployment Rate In Nation, Says Report
by Gilman Halsted, WPR A new report by economists at University of Wisconsin-Madison finds Wisconsin has the highest black unemployment rate in the nation. The report fro the Center on Wisconsin Strategy found nearly 20 percent of black people in the state’s labor force are jobless, 4.5 times the rate for white people and twice […]