Milwaukee County Supervisor introduces policy against mass incarceration

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) – Milwaukee County is now taking a stance on mass incarceration.

A Milwaukee County Supervisor is introducing a policy that puts it on record that Milwaukee County is against mass incarceration.

The County Board just voted unanimously to approve the resolution.

The goal is to get more people out of prison and get them the help they need.

The resolution calls for asking the state for more funding for treatment programs. It also calls for a review of Wisconsin’s sentencing and parole guidelines.

The resolution references a 2013 UWM study that found Milwaukee had the most black men in prison than anywhere else in the U.S.

Instead of putting money into new prisons, Milwaukee County Supervisor Peggy West thinks more money should be spent on treatment programs and education.

“Unfortunately incarceration in our state has become a money-making endeavor and so it seems as if we’re more concerned with making money than actually making our communities safe,” said Peggy West, Milwaukee County Supervisor 12th District.

If the County Board adopts the resolution, they will pass it along to the state and the White House letting them know Milwaukee’s stance against mass incarceration.