Posted on 11/18/2005 3:16:29 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Two state legislators want the governor to create a task force to examine why African-Americans are imprisoned at a higher rate in Wisconsin than in any other state, including the states of the Deep South.
Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, and Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, are circulating a memo asking their colleagues to join in a written request to Gov. Jim Doyle.
Black said the idea came up after the Black Commentator published a story in July listing Wisconsin as the worst state to be in for African-Americans.
John Odom, a longtime Madison civil rights activist, brought the article to Black's attention.
The online magazine of commentary found that Wisconsin led the nation in the percentage of African-American residents in prison, at 4.06 percent, compared with 0.35 percent of whites.
Iowa was next with 3.30 percent of African-Americans incarcerated, followed by Texas with 3.29 percent and Oklahoma with 2.98 percent. The remainder of the top 10 ranged from 2.85 percent to 2.75 percent.
African-American residents of Wisconsin were incarcerated at a rate 11.6 times higher than whites, according to the Commentator.
"Tamara and I would like the task force to look at what causes the extremely high incarceration rate, and whether everybody is treated the same when it comes to race in regard to arrest and conviction," Black said. "It is a question of fairness and justice, and a significant concern to the African-American community. We would also like to learn what we can do about it - in education, social services, policing and the criminal justice system."
Grigsby said the article in the Commentator provided a prime opportunity to ask state officials to recognize the issue as a problem and a priority.
"I hope we can get some answers to why some of these things are happening, and some solid recommendations for legislative options that may help to address the problem," she said.
Dan Leistikow, a spokesman for Gov. Jim Doyle, said Doyle will consider their request.
"This is something the governor has been deeply concerned about since his days as attorney general. He has launched significant reforms of the corrections system, including a new focus on prevention and treatment," Leistikow said.
Odom said that though high prison rates for blacks had been known for a while, the Commentator article made it clear that Wisconsin was the worst. He said he appreciated Black's responsiveness when he raised the issue.
"My concern was that there is no reason why our progressive state should have such a dubious designation," Odom said. "My feeling was that a blue ribbon task force or at least legislative hearings could bring together the brightest people who have experience and knowledge who could give us new ideas to bring improvement in helping young people get their education and find gainful employment. Their career path doesn't have to include prison."
Odom said the issue is two-sided: Young African-Americans have to be represented adequately in the criminal justice system, but lots of work also has to be done on education and strong family structures.
The UW-Madison's Center on Wisconsin Strategy "State of Working Wisconsin Update" in 2004 identified "a shocking series of indicators where Wisconsin posts shocking levels of racial disparity, often among the worst in the nation" in areas including poverty, unemployment, education and incarceration."
The COWS update for 2005 found that African-American unemployment rates in Wisconsin in 2004 were 16.4 percent, compared with 4.2 percent for whites.
Pamela Oliver, a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has already studied the prison issue extensively.
She found that black prison admission rates rose steadily in Wisconsin through the 1990s, while white incarceration rates rose modestly.
"A major source of the rise is increased probation and parole revocations, which rose for both races but more rapidly for blacks," Oliver said on a Web site citing research findings.
"By the late 1990s, most black new prison sentences were for drug offenses. Black sentences for drug offenses rose in the 1990s while sentences for serious crimes declined."
Black said he would like to find out why Minnesota has a dramatically lower incarceration rate.
"The point is that our current situation is not acceptable," he said. "A task force can focus attention on the issue, bring in experts and take a serious factual look at the situation, and develop the political resolve to do something about it."
1. This BLUE state caters to those on welfare drawing them in in droves from Chicago and those on welfare lack the motivation to take The High Road, versus making The Quick Buck through drugs, robbery and other scams?
2. Recidivism, because this "progressive" state is too lenient with prisoners in the first place?
3. A study like this can easily be manipulated so even MORE of my tax dollars go to welfare and social programs and handouts, versus "Teach a Man to Fish" type of programs?
Just a few guesses. Your turn. *Rolleyes*
Good Evening, Wisconsin Conservative Politics Ping List Members. FYI, if this interests you.
..ah.....ah......errrr...good police work?
Doogle
...could be prison is a great place during the winter there, warm bed, food, clothing you know, out of the wind.........
BTTT
You know, I'm tired of this race baiting for political advantage, and I want laws passed against it.
People doing this are counter to the commonweal of the United States and should be punished by law.
Actually, they should be tarred and feathered, but the populace has become too controlled for any of that now.
Lest anyone misunderstand me, my point is that these are professional rhetorical debaters and the truth does not matter. - They know darn well that you cannot use statistical anomalies to explain differences in the rates of incarceration.
There are more blacks incarcerated because there is more crime by them, at that time and in that place.
Properly, attention should be directed at why that is so, rather than reaping political hay by muckraking
Oh my, I just mixed a metaphor.
Maybe they commit crimes at a higher rate?
No no no. Obviously, everyone in Wisconsin is racist. What else could it be?
It might help if we were to elect Democrats as Governor and US Senators... err... no ... we already have... uh... never mind...
people in prison are there because they are convicted criminals .........no matter what color
If one group of people has a higher rate of imprisonment, my assumption is that they must be committing a higher percentage of crimes.
For example, almost all prison inmates are males. It's not because our criminal justice system discriminates against males, it's simply because males commit most of the serious crimes.
And some state has to be first.
Want to do something about it? Don't commit crimes. Don't produce criminals. Get married before having babies. Expect and demand good behavior from members of your own "community." Buckle down, study hard, work hard, and quit whining about "racism." Fathers, raise your children to have morals.
Thank you. No government money was needed for this report. Follow my suggestions and I guarantee you the black inmate rate will go down.
True, but it's the path they've chosen.
Wisconsin also has the highest high school dropout rate for African American students; Only 40% of African American students go on to graduate.
On the other hand, Wisconsin has the highest white high school graduation rate, at 92%
Source: http://www.inpathways.net/hs_grad_rates.pdf
And this is not indicative of different educational opportunities; In my community, the unified school district includes both the inner city and affluent suburbs, with extensive busing. It has more to do with sociology, and the environment inner city kids grow up in - which probably explains the incarceration rate as well.
Only a bigoted Northerner would use that phrase.
They never speak of the Shallow South, do they? So what do they mean?
"Oh my, I just mixed a metaphor."
Uht-Oh. That's at least five years in the pokey from the 'FR Metaphor Police' who will no doubt be here shortly to escort you away. ;)
(I hear they're even meaner than the 'FR Grammar Police' and Junkyard Dogs combined, LOL!)
There are more blacks in prison because more blacks commit crimes per capita than other racial or ethnic groups. Even thinking this, let alone saying it out loud, automatically makes me a racist, so let me rephrase my thought....
... just a moment...
There are more blacks in prison because of racism and the knapsack of white privilege, which literally forces blacks into a life of crime.
I feel like I have to brush my teeth now.
"I feel like I have to brush my teeth now."
Better hit the Listerine, too. *Rolleyes* It is an impossible situation, isn't it? I'm surprised I haven't been hauled off in chains for posting this, actually. The DU Trolls should be showing up soon. *Snort* ;)
I'd like to see statistics on 1st/2nd generation Somalian immigrants vs 10th-20th generation "African-Americans".
If I don't like it here in America, I could go back to my Roots in Wales, England, Germany. I could comment further, but... after our traced ancestry goes back seven generations; I think I'll stay put and keep on working in the business world of free enterprise and capitalism.
I'm not fussy.
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