July is the height of summer break for most kids; the previous school year is long over and back-to-school plans are still many weeks away. 

But as many youth across Wisconsin enjoy summer break outside, too many young people are unnecessarily caught up in our youth justice system, with a disproportionate number of them being youth of color. Instead of playing with their friends outside, they’re spending their summer in detention awaiting hearings, placement or needed services. 

As ACLU Wisconsin noted recently in one of the worst court-ordered monitor’s reports we have ever seen, youth at Lincoln Hills detention center are almost exclusively in solitary confinement due to staff shortages. As they note:

“solitary confinement is devastating for youth, especially those with mental health needs.”  

The system is broken and it needs fixing. To realize comprehensive and meaningful change that improves the lives of Wisconsin’s youth, we must listen to and support those most impacted, instead of leaving them to languish in a system that is not meeting their needs. 

Mental Health Intensified by COVID-19

Before COVID-19, it was well-documented that youth in the juvenile justice system experienced worse mental health impacts, including isolation and depression. 

But what we could call a national crisis before COVID-19 has only been made worse. For more on this, check out our report: “COVID-19 and Youth Justice in Wisconsin: What are we learning?”.

“It’s astounding that we’re continuing to not make changes, when the changes are so obvious,” said Erica Nelson, Kids Forward Advocacy Director and producer of the Hear Us podcast, “Wisconsin is long overdue for significant reform.”

As decision makers begin to acknowledge the current mental health crisis among youth, the growing needs of those stuck in our youth justice system remain unaddressed. And this failure disproportionately impacts youth of color who are overrepresented in the system. 

With a disproportionate number of youth of color stuck in the system, they endure the worst outcomes as a result.

“We should be screaming from the rooftops” – Sharlen Moore, Ep. 8

Research consistently shows that intervention, prevention, diversion and community based support and programming instead of incarceration overwhelmingly lead to better outcomes for young Wisconsinites. 

Through Youth Justice Wisconsin, an initiative of Kids Forward, we are leading the charge for comprehensive and transformative youth justice reform in our state. 

We must ensure that Wisconsin policymakers work to mobilize and sustain a robust, trauma-informed, and culturally competent community-based system of care that addresses emotional and behavioral health for all youth. 

“If It Can Be Broke, It Can be Fixed.” – Termaine, Ep. 6

Our Recommendations

1. Sustain the highest degree of collaboration and innovation across underserved groups, government agencies, professional disciplines, and levels of government. 
2. Use more informal support and technology to keep youth connected and supported. 
3. Ensure equitable funding and service coordination to support all youth, in every community. 
4. Eliminate detention as a sanction by implementing alternatives. 

Up Next

Stay tuned for more on the state of Wisconsin’s young people in early August for the 2022 KidsCount® DataBook.