I want to change how you think about crime, and if you live in Wisconsin, I want to do it before you complete your ballot for the Spring election.
Here in Wisconsin, there is a referendum on our ballot to amend the state Constitution that will change the way judges make bail decisions. It is likely to pass, by a wide margin, in part because of the way it is written. I want you to vote no, despite this. But more than that, I just want to share some things that I’ve learned that make me think we handle crime and consequences all wrong in the United States. And it will take a shift in mindset from those of us relatively unaffected by it in order for it to change.
A little over 6 years ago, I started to pay serious attention to the way we handle crime and punishment in the United States. I don’t think it’s too dramatic to say that I have since re-oriented large portions of my life toward learning about our criminal legal system, getting to know those affected by it, and trying to figure out how we change it.
I’ve read extensively, listened to hours upon hours of podcasts, gotten a Master’s Degree in Social Work focused on mental health and incarcerated individuals, worked with criminal defense teams, and helped develop a volunteer program that has observed over 3,000 criminal court hearings in the county where I live. I’ve attended conferences and audited a Criminal Procedure class at the University of Wisconsin Law School. I’ve engaged with Sheriffs, Legislators, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, jail staff, and victims of crimes. And I’ve contemplated the values of the faith I grew up in, as well as those that I didn’t, to put all of this together into some ways of thinking that I want to share.
I can’t entirely explain why this is so important to me, but the topic has taken hold and I guess we can’t always pick our passions. So, I’m following my gut here and I’m just going to say a bunch of stuff that I feel needs to be said.
In the coming days, I’m going to lay out a few ways of thinking about crime and how we deal with it. If you are a Wisconsinite and you’re planning on voting early, the short version is this: The statewide ballot questions #1 and #2 ask if the state Constitution should be amended in ways that sound sensible, and when you read those questions, a reasonable reaction may be to think “What? This isn’t already the way it works?”
But behind the text of those questions are layers of legislative changes that undermine a core principle of American democracy: that individuals are innocent until proven guilty. Making these changes will lead to greater inequities in our system. Bail fees will increase, which means that people with money will post bail while waiting for trial, while those without will sit in jail – all before being proven guilty. It does not lead to equitable justice, which means it does not lead to justice at all.
Of course, it is not that simple, but that is the simplest way I can share my opinion of the bottom line. I hope you’ll read on in coming days to learn more.
If you’d like to watch a presentation I gave recently as part of the volunteer group mentioned above, click here: Bail Amendment Info Session – March 9, 2023. I was very nervous, and I think it shows, but the points made are sincere and well-researched. More importantly, I am joined by a man named Anthony Cooper, who has dedicated his life to helping people like me understand experiences I haven’t lived and empowering many with pathways out of seemingly impossible situations.
Please! Don’t hesitate to share the video and/or this post with friends and family you think would be interested.
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