Wisconsin Black Arrest Rate Is 12 Times White as Dane County Cuts Jail Beds
A new campus group at UW-Madison argued that a proposed reduction of 188 jail beds ignores a national ranking for racial disparity.
By Priya Marino ·
Black residents in Wisconsin are 12 times more likely to be arrested than white residents, a statistic that places the state second in the nation for racial disparity in incarceration.
This figure was the central point of a discussion held at Union South on October 7. The event was organized by Students Against Mass Incarceration, a newly formed group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The panel examined how race, schooling, and homelessness intersect with the criminal justice system in Madison.
Shar-ron Buie, the data and evaluation coordinator for the Dane County Office of Justice and Reform, presented the arrest data during the session. She confirmed the 12-to-1 gap between Black and white residents. The group, which is led by Vice President Gabriel Meyer-Herron, stated that it aims to create an environment for discourse on these issues.
The conversation extended to a specific infrastructure project in Dane County. County officials plan to merge outdated downtown jail facilities into a new tower attached to the Dane County Public Safety building. This consolidation would reduce the total bed count from 1,013 to 825. The plan also seeks to eliminate or reduce solitary confinement.
James Morgan, a community organizer with Madison Organizing in Strength, Equity and Solidarity for Criminal Legal System Reform, criticized the reduction. He called the new capacity "totally inadequate." Morgan argued that people struggling with mental health issues and alcoholism would be most affected by the cuts. He noted that policymakers are focusing on the wrong issues as the population is expected to grow over the next 10 to 20 years.
"They're not talking about adequate housing," Morgan said. He also addressed university statutes that require a share of supplies to be produced through prison labor via Badger State Industries. He urged the group to "expose them" and called for a living wage and better reintegration practices.
Wisconsin Public Defender Benjamin Gonring focused on young people. He cited a 24.5% gap in recidivism rates in 2016 between ages 20 to 24 and those over 45. "These children need investment," Gonring said. Law professor Ion Meyn closed by asking if publicizing crimes is harmful, to which he answered, "yes."
