On July 1st, Mississippi amended a law that prevents most 17-year-old misdemeanor and nonviolent felony offenders from being tried as adults. Felonies including rape, murder, and armed robbery may still warrant charges in the adult court system. Mississippi is the latest and 38th state to make this positive step in juvenile justice....
The budget bill brought both good and bad news for the Transitional Jobs program, which provides subsidized job placements and training for unemployed, non-custodial parents who are ineligible for both unemployment insurance and the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program. It was initiated in September 2010 as a two-year demonstration program,...
Despite extensive cuts to education, including the elimination of the educational Wisconsin Covenant program, the 2011-13 biennial budget added funding for a reading task force called “Read to Lead.” The Read to Lead task force is budgeted for $1.2 million dollars over the next two fiscal years, with the aim of bolstering the reading...
The Governor’s proposed budget eliminated men from the Medicaid Family Planning Waiver Program, and the Joint Finance Committee restricted the program further by reducing income eligibility for women from 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 200% FPL. Joint Finance also imposed parental notification and use of family income to...
The Wisconsin Covenant, championed by Governor Doyle, was launched in 2006. It was seen as a way to inspire young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to plan early for successful high school careers that would lead to higher education.Eighth graders, beginning in the spring of 2007, were invited to sign a Wisconsin...
The Wisconsin Senate has scheduled committee hearings this week to take up a law change that would allow for 13 weeks of federally-funded extended unemployment benefits in the state. With Wisconsin’s unemployment rate above 7%, these benefits would serve as a lifeline for those who are unable to find work.The Wisconsin Budget Project...
Despite widespread cuts in the budget, a few programs received increased funding. One such program is the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, housed within the Department of Justice. The Task Force investigates crimes against children that take place online, including child pornography and child enticement. Task Force members...
The budget bill proposed by Governor Walker included a 10% across-the-board reduction to all Department of Health Services (DHS) non-staff appropriations, including the tobacco use control grants. However, the Joint Finance Committee, after approving the 10% reduction to the tobacco use control grants, doubled the cut to this valuable...
Lost sometimes in all the rhetoric about this budget – and prior ones – and how we can’t afford to return 17-year olds to the juvenile system is the simple fact that kids should not be housed with adults. No one speaks more eloquently and passionately about this issue than Vicky Gunderson from Onalaska whose son Kirk committed suicide...
The bond between mothers and babies has tremendous lifelong implications. It is widely recognized that the first relationships between an infant and her parent(s) form the basis for all future relationships. This is no less true for low-income moms and babies. A warm, nurturing environment with consistent, loving caregivers is critical...
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