Wisconsin Jail Cut Drops 188 Beds as Black Arrest Rate Tops White by 12x

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are questioning a state prison plan that shrinks capacity while racial arrest gaps widen.

The Dane County Office of Justice and Reform reports that Black residents face a 12 times higher arrest rate than white residents. This statistic places Wisconsin second in the nation for Black-white incarceration disparity. The county’s current consolidation project would merge downtown facilities into a new tower attached to the Public Safety building. The plan reduces total bed count from 1,013 to 825, a cut of 188 slots. It also aims to eliminate or reduce solitary confinement.

Shar-ron Buie, a data and evaluation coordinator for the county, presented these figures at a panel held on Oct. 7 at Union South. The event was organized by Students Against Mass Incarceration, a new campus group. Gabriel Meyer-Herron, the group's vice president, stated the organization aims to create an environment for discourse on the local criminal justice system. The group has planned a visit to the Dane County Jail this year.

Ion Meyn, a UW-Madison law professor, contextualized the 12-to-1 gap within historical trends. He noted that in the 1820s, the incarceration rate was 1 in 10. "It means we are doing worse than Jim Crow," Meyn said regarding the current figures. James Morgan, a community organizer with Madison Organizing in Strength, Equity and Solidarity for Criminal Legal System Reform, criticized the consolidation plan as "totally inadequate." He argued the changes would worsen outcomes for individuals dealing with mental health issues and alcoholism.

Morgan argued that policymakers are focusing on the wrong priorities for the next 10 to 20 years. "They're not talking about adequate housing," he said. Benjamin Gonring, the Wisconsin Public Defender, addressed recidivism among young adults. He cited a 24.5% gap in recidivism rates between 20-to-24-year-olds and those over 45 in 2016. Gonring emphasized that these young people need at least one person who tells them what they can become.

The discussion also touched on the role of higher education in the system. Morgan pointed to statutes requiring a share of university supplies to be produced through prison labor via Badger State Industries. He called for a living wage and accountability practices in those facilities. Meyn closed the session by asking if publicizing crimes is itself racist. "It's a question I have for you, the answer I have for it is yes," he said.