A week has passed since the death of Sylville Smith in Sherman Park. I am in no position to comment on the details of the events that led to his killing, or its aftermath. But I do think it is imperative that we see these tragic events within a larger context, a context that extends beyond the north side of Milwaukee, to the state of...
Not only is the cost of incarcerating individuals in Wisconsin high (about $1.5 billion annually), but according to a new KIDS COUNT® policy report released today, approximately 88,000 children living in Wisconsin have experienced the separation of a parent who served time in jail or prison, of more than 5 million nationally. The...
This week, the Wisconsin legislature launched the Children’s Caucus Steering Committee, a bipartisan and bicameral caucus co-chaired by Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and Representative Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan). The goal of the caucus will be to research and advocate for promising, evidence-based public policy that will improve...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a final rule that seeks to strengthen access to mental health and substance abuse benefits for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. The rule provides states with detailed guidance on how the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) should be...
The recent Netflix documentary Making a Murderer unleashed a wave of scrutiny over procedures in the criminal justice system, including investigation and interrogation practices. In that vein, we posted a few weeks ago discussing what Making a Murderer shows about juvenile confessions—that false confessions by youth can be fairly easily...
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