by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | Advocacy, Newsletter, Prisons, WISDOM Conditions of Confinement
Journey to Justice/Unlock the Box Tour Coming to Madison
Local Rally: Saturday, Oct. 11, 3-4 p.m., Capitol Square
Tour Events: Sunday, Oct. 12, Noon-3 p.m., Madison Christian Community, 7118 Old Sauk Rd.
Click here to register for the Sunday events. (Free)
Please note: The MOSES October General Meeting scheduled for the afternoon of Oct. 12 has been cancelled so that everyone can attend this event.
The Journey to Justice bus tour is bringing the Unlock the Box campaign to the people, to educate us about the realities of solitary confinement and motivate us to press our state governments to end the practice. The bus will stop in Madison on Sunday, Oct. 12, as it nears the end of its 11-state tour.
As of press time, details for the weekend’s events were still being finalized, but MOSES member Talib Akbar gave us an idea of what attendees can expect to experience at the event and shared his thoughts on the importance of this tour.
A public rally is being planned for Saturday, Oct. 11, to uplift the tour and get everyone excited for the Sunday events. Talib hopes to see a lot of people who are interested in ending solitary confinement come together and support the effort. “We want to make a lot of noise and uplift Unlock the Box,” he said.
On Sunday, Oct. 12, the Journey to Justice bus will be open for people to tour. The bus will contain a replica solitary confinement cell (Talib’s solitary confinement truck will also be on site), educational materials, and other immersive experiences. Attendees will also be able to listen to a panel of speakers, participate in a breakout session on how solitary confinement affects women and children, and talk with people from the national tour about their projects.
Talib is passionate about ending the suffering that solitary confinement causes for so many people. “It’s been too long that we haven’t been able to end it,” he says. “It is important that it come to an end. We have a great state of Wisconsin, and it’s hard to imagine that we allow solitary confinement to exist in our state.
“If it [solitary confinement] is in our lives, it will be in the lives of our children seven generations from now, and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen. Solitary is torture, today, tomorrow, and forever. A budget for solitary confinement should not exist and should never be implemented into the Wisconsin legal system.”
The event is free, though registration will be requested. Watch your email and the MOSES website for announcements of times, locations, and other details.
The WISDOM team planning the Wisconsin stop is hoping to attract more people who can share their professional expertise with this movement: people such as lawyers, social workers, and university students. So as details become available, please share this information widely. The more people who learn the truth about solitary confinement, the more pressure we can put on legislators to pass laws to end this horrific practice.
Sidebar:
Just before press time, we got this update:
The Journey to Justice bus will be at:
Madison Christian Community
7118 Old Sauk Rd.
Sunday, Oct. 12, noon-3 p.m.
Panel discussion with:
State Rep. Ryan Clancy
State Rep. Darrin Madison
Survivors of solitary
Faith leaders
Conversation with FREE re:
Women and solitary confinement
Explore the mobile museum. Experience a solitary confinement cell.
by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | Life After Prison, Newsletter
Returning Citizen Harlan Works for Justice
By Ken Warren
I first met Harlan at the joint finance budget hearing in Wausau this spring. He currently lives in Marshfield, but he was born and raised in the Madison area. He also is a member of WISDOM and EXPO. His story is compelling.
Harlan was born in 1954 and attended Madison schools until dropping out of high school. He describes his early home life as love-starved, but he also refers to his mother and father as loving parents; they loved their boys very much but either could not or would not show that love. As a young child, he was frequently bullied by his older brother.
Harlan’s negative interaction with the legal system began in his early teen years, when he was placed on probation for car theft. He ran away from home several times; one of these times he stole a car and went all the way to Florida. By the time he was 15, he was well headed down what he called “the left-hand path,” which included drugs, thefts, brawling, and other poor choices. However, because juvenile authorities in Wisconsin were quite lenient, he never received more than probation until he was 16.
That did not mean that he avoided serious consequences. He obtained a motorcycle, and having run away this time to Minneapolis, was constantly taking risks. That behavior resulted in a severely broken leg, which took many years to heal and still causes him pain. It did not, however, end his love for motorcycles.
Following his accident, he returned to Madison and started carrying a gun. At a party, his brother became violent and started attacking a girl who was trying to leave. Harlan shot his brother, killing him. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years, with the possibility of parole in one year.
While in the Wisconsin Correctional System, Harlan learned that a “possibility” is different from a contract or guarantee. He spent four years in various facilities before being released. During this time he obtained his HSED, developed his knowledge of the law, and learned machine shop skills.
In 1984, at the age of 30, Harlan was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. He began a 37-year tour through many correctional facilities in Wisconsin, including 8-1/2 years at Waupun and shorter periods at Fox Lake, Kettle Moraine, Oak Hill, and Gordon Correctional Center. He became eligible for parole in 1996 and expected to be paroled in 2011, after having been on work release, but then Scott Walker was elected governor. He spent 10 more years incarcerated, until Tony Evers became governor. Harlan was paroled, thanks to Gov. Evers, in 2021, at the age of 67.
Harlan’s years of incarceration were not only a journey through correctional facilities, but also a long and complicated spiritual trip. Early on, he became interested in the occult, read many books by Aleister Crowley and other occultists, and even formed prison study groups. He then found his way back to Christianity (he had been raised in the Catholic Church) and continues in his Christian faith to this day. While incarcerated, he also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree; wrote hundreds of poems, some of which have been published; and began writing short stories with a prison pen pal. You can find a book of his short stories and another of his poetry on Kindle. Harlan is also an artist; he has given away or sold most of his drawings.
Harlan has written a memoir, which he started in 2004 and is currently working to get published. He shared his manuscript with me, and I must say that I find it compelling. Since being released on parole, he has worked as a semi driver; he obtained his regular driver’s license while still incarcerated and got his CDL upon release. He had to take some time off due to surgery for a knee replacement. Harlan says that since being released he has tried to maintain a low profile, but he is on WISDOM’s Old Law task force.
When asked about current support, he immediately mentions his girlfriend, saying she has greatly supported him. If he friends you on Facebook, you will find her featured prominently in his photos. You will also see in the photo with this story that he has not lost his love for motorcycles – but he rides with more caution than in his younger years.
by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | MOSES leadership
MOSES Announces Changes to President’s Term and Succession Plan
The MOSES Leadership Board recently adopted a change to the President’s term of office and created two new roles. Currently, the President serves a two-year term and can be re-elected for a second term. The new approach, which was adopted to create a smoother leadership succession, provides three roles serving one year each: a President-Elect, a President, and an Immediate Past President.
People elected to these positions will collaboratively divide responsibilities according to their preferences, availability, and talents. They will automatically succeed to the subsequent role, for a total of three years of service, after which they may be nominated to serve one more time in each of these roles.
2026 will be a transition year. The newly-elected President and President-Elect will serve together collaboratively, and the Vice President will complete her final year in office. Beginning in 2027, the Vice President’s position will be eliminated.
Please contact Kathy Luker, chair of the Nominating Committee, if you would like to suggest nominees for either of these roles or the other positions to be elected in November: President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Assistant Treasurer.
Note: Saundra Brown’s first term as President and Tricia Hillner’s first term as Secretary will end this year. Both have indicated willingness to be nominated for a second term.
by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | Advocacy, RJAC Racial Justice for All Children, Schools, Youth, Schools, Education
EAG Creates Literacy Justice Coalition Wisconsin
By Judy Fitzgerald, Tracy Frank, and Shel Gross
For the past few years, the Education Advocacy Group (EAG) of the Racial Justice for All Children Task Force (RJAC) has focused on early literacy education and identifying students with dyslexia as high priority ways to narrow the school-to-prison pipeline. For decades, many children have not been taught with practices supported by what scientists have learned from the neuropsychological research on reading. Children not reading at grade level fall further and further behind as the material becomes more complex, and this can result in behavior issues, withdrawal, and/or emotional turmoil. A substantial portion of juvenile detainees are functionally illiterate, as are about 75% of incarcerated individuals, making it harder for them to take part in employment opportunities or civil society.
With this knowledge, MOSES took an official position in favor of Act 20, also known as the Right-to-Read Bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Evers on July 19, 2023. The position’s first two sentences have been the guideposts for the EAG’s work:
- MOSES treasures the education and well-being of all our citizens, but most especially our treasured children.
- MOSES believes that schools should be held accountable for teaching children to read.
Act 20 changed the way that Wisconsin children are taught to read, to align with reading science. It also changed the way that teachers are trained, requiring them to have completed an approved course in the linguistic foundations of reading. Literacy coaches are prescribed for the lowest performing districts. Screening tests are required three times a year for grades K5-3, and the results are to be communicated to the parents or guardians. If a student scores in the lowest 25%, a diagnostic assessment must be performed and a personalized reading plan (PRP) provided to the parents or guardians. An Early Literacy Curriculum Council (ELCC) was formed to choose the most effective curricula for districts to adopt, so that they could receive up to 50% reimbursement for their cost outlay. Importantly, the new law also requires districts to screen for dyslexia, if requested by a parent, guardian, or teacher.
Due to a legal dispute between the governor and the legislature, the roughly $50 million allotted for implementation of Act 20 was not released until July 2025. But now the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will be able to hire literacy coaches, reimburse districts for curriculum purchases, and support teacher training.
The delay did not keep RJAC from advocating for the local adoption of Act 20 measures over the past two years. We met with school board members, administrators, and DPI staff to learn about implementation and to hold all parties accountable for it.
When several members of RJAC provided in-person testimony in the summer of 2023 in support of Act 20, seeds for important relationships with other state literacy advocates and organizations were planted. The EAG recognized that though these groups share an interest in improving early literacy education and preservice teacher training, they might not be familiar with each other’s work. While organizations need to focus on their own core missions, MOSES understands that “organized people” are key to developing our power to impact policy. This understanding led Tracy Frank to create a listserv of literacy advocates and organizations devoted to raising literacy rates in Wisconsin.
Tracy led the first virtual meeting of the Literacy Justice Coalition Wisconsin on July 17, 2025, to learn what everyone was already doing and to plot future direction. Early childhood education, increasing the supply of tutors, and monitoring implementation of Act 20 were identified as crucial parts of the equation. Several coalition members want to hold an event in the fall to raise public awareness of the literacy crisis. When future legislation or funding is needed, the Literacy Justice Coalition Wisconsin is now in place to communicate and coordinate advocacy. If you would like to be added to the listserve or to work on the fall event, email Tracy Frank at jtracyfrank@me.com.
This fall, as every year, there are multiple reasons why many children enter the new school year already behind. Though teachers now are better trained in more effective methods, they still have the stress of teaching students with a variety of reading levels and resources in one classroom. Trained volunteer literacy tutors lessen a teacher’s load by working one-on-one with the students in the bottom half who do not qualify for the services of the reading interventionist or special education teacher. An effective, trained volunteer literacy tutor can help change the trajectory of a young person’s life, away from the illiteracy-to-prison pipeline.
While MOSES is primarily an advocacy organization, we know many members of MOSES member congregations are moved to provide direct service in a variety of ways. If that is you, check the sidebar and consider one of the many volunteer literacy tutor training opportunities in Madison.
Literacy Tutoring Opportunities
The following organizations provide training and placement for literacy tutors. We do not know the current status of training slots at each organization. If you would like to talk about tutoring in general please feel free to contact Judy Fitzgerald, judithfitzgerald@fsm.northwestern.edu or Tracy Frank, jtracyfrank@me.com.
Goodman Center – START Literacy Initiative
Iris Patterson: (608) 204-8014; ipatterson@goodmancenter.org
https://www.goodmancenter.org/children-teens/start-literacy
Children’s Dyslexia Center
Director Kelly Kuenzi: (608) 252-4922
https://www.childrensdyslexiacenters.org/services/
One City Schools: (608) 531-2128
Volunteer information here.
Note: Even though in-person tutor training took place in August, there are other ways to get involved if you are interested.
Schools of Hope: Madison
https://schoolsofhope.org/tutor/schools-of-hope-in-madison/
Schools of Hope provides tutors for:
Thoreau School – Madison
Fluency Tutor Program
(608) 204-6940
Lowell School – Madison
Literacy Tutor Program
(608) 204-6600
by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | Advocacy, Life After Prison, WISDOM, WISDOM Post Release
Implementing Short-Term Sanctions: Notes from the July 8 DOC Hearing
By Sherry Reames
In 2014, the Wisconsin Legislature passed Act 196, directing the Department of Corrections to create a system of short-term sanctions. These sanctions were to provide alternatives to revocation (back to prison) for people on probation, parole, or extended supervision who violated a supervision rule. If properly implemented, this bipartisan measure would contribute substantially to the success and well-being of affected individuals and help to significantly reduce Wisconsin’s prison population.
But the DOC has never actually implemented this law. As Tom Gilbert of MOSES has been reminding them since 2019, genuine implementation would require them to write a set of rules that fulfill the law’s requirements to provide examples of high, medium, and low-level sanctions to “minimize the impact on the offender’s employment . . . and family” and to “reward offenders for compliance” as well as punish them for violations.
On July 8, 11 years after the legislature passed the short-term sanctions law, the DOC made a gesture toward compliance by scheduling a one-hour online public hearing on its latest proposal to deal with the issue. Thanks to publicity from WISDOM and other prison-reform groups, the hearing was lively, well-attended, and remarkably cohesive, with witness after witness explaining the flaws of the current system and the positive differences that would result from full implementation of Act 196.
Among the highlights of the hearing were personal testimonies from re-entering citizens who, despite years of compliance with the rules, still face many more years of supervision fees and never-ending stress under the current system. As Shannon Ross put it, they are never free from the knowledge that a former friend or disgruntled ex-employee can easily get them sent back to prison. Marianne Oleson pointed out that the average length of supervision in Wisconsin vastly exceeds the 3 to 5 years which experts say is enough. Other witnesses described the traumas inflicted on family members, especially children, when an individual who just needs alcohol or mental health treatment is instead reincarcerated.
Besides Tom Gilbert, who outlined the history and importance of Act 196, several other MOSES members contributed detailed suggestions for its implementation. Eric Howland explained that the current system, which relies on “short-term” jail sentences of 30 to 90 days, can destroy whatever progress returnees have made in fulfilling their basic needs for employment, housing, and a positive social network and force them to start over. Carol Rubin explained that the DOC needs to provide agents with examples of sanctions, like weekend jail time, home confinement, or participation in AODA treatment, which would not seriously damage the individual’s employment, education or training, housing, or family. Lisa Munro cited the benefits achieved by other states when they actually used rewards and incentives as well as sanctions, allowing people to earn earlier release from supervision by completing treatment or education programs or simply complying with the rules consistently.
Other expert witnesses at the hearing emphasized the urgent need to reform Wisconsin’s system of supervision. Sean Wilson from the national organization Dream.org pointed out that the current system lacks not only real short-term sanctions, but also transparency, oversight, focus on rehabilitation and successful re-entry, and guardrails to prevent overpunishment. He added that the DOC’s new proposal to outsource more supervision to private vendors would create perverse incentives to maximize private profit. Robert Thibault, from Prison Action Milwaukee, emphasized the inconsistencies in the current system, with some counties and some individual agents far more inclined than others to revoke probation for petty rule violations, and summed up by calling for a DOC and probation culture that wants people to succeed, with rules that promote rehabilitation and recovery.
The DOC is no longer accepting written public testimony on Act 196, but it is not too late to share your ideas and recommendations with your legislators and the governor’s office.
