Criminal Justice Workshop at Bethel Lutheran April 23
Kalvin Barrett, Dennis Franklin, Dana Pellebon, Paul Saeman Share Perspectives
By Pam Gates
Among the events at a one-day conference titled “Nonviolence in Action: An Interfaith Conversation on Building the Beloved Community” was an interesting workshop on Criminal Justice Reform. Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, EXPO Co-Director Dennis Franklin, Rape Crisis Center Executive Director and former Dane County Board supervisor Dana Pellebon, and MOSES President-elect Paul Saeman all offered insights to a packed room.
Sheriff Barrett focused his initial comments on the jail’s policy of administering addiction medications to jail residents. He emphasized how important this is, and that the jail has nurses and counselors on staff for this purpose, plus a deputy in charge of that aspect of operations. They administer methadone, naltrexone, or buprenorphine to people already taking those, and they also start people identified as needing addiction treatment. If the jail doesn’t do this, Barrett said, the risk of overdose after jail is very high: people go from cold-turkey abstinence in jail to drug availability once they’re out, which is difficult for them to handle without medication support.
Dennis Franklin spoke about EXPO’s work establishing safe and dignified housing for women returning from incarceration – offering them a safe place to live and helping them address problems during re-entry. Besides overseeing the original SAFE House, where individual women get support and services to help them during this transitional period, EXPO now has a Transition House with four 2-bedroom units, where women can be reunified with their kids. EXPO is looking for more housing for this population.
Dana Pellebon emphasized the disconnect between the wealth of resources in Madison and the continuing scandal of our racial disparities. “We have programs, services, and support,” she said. “What hasn’t changed? Disparities in housing, education, income; disparities in charging, sentencing, and policing.” Pellebon said she has focused on what works, and she’s enthusiastic about the potential of community courts.
During her time on the county board, Pellebon observed a community court in Avondale, Ill. One very important feature was its location – in the community, not in a courthouse, which can be intimidating. The victim (who must agree to this) and the harm-doer have a conversation and together determine a remedy, working with each other, the case manager, and the judge. The Avondale community court worked with kids ages 18-25; it lowered the recidivism rate to 18%! Pellebon noted that the young offenders were also provided with wraparound services – another key to the success of the operation. “They did vision boards, were self-directed,” she said, stating that self-direction was also critical.
Something else that’s critical: “The electorate. Voters have to believe in moving the numbers,” Pellebon said. “We need the community to move together, to offer continual input [to their elected officials]. The electorate has to say that they want [change].”
Paul Saeman summarized the history of MOSES. A collection of individuals and faith communities working for criminal-legal system reform, it was founded in 2012. Its first issue was Ban the Box: removing the “box” on criminal history from initial job applications. Its next issue was the county jail, which was deemed inhumane, unsafe, obsolete, and in need of replacement. Data collection also needed to improve. In 2023, final decisions on the jail were made: it would be replaced, and the harm done by incarceration – to families, to children, to those incarcerated – would be addressed. Saeman mentioned the Huber program’s electronic monitoring, which permits some people to stay in the community on the bracelet rather than in the jail; this provides some degree of harm reduction. He also cited MOSES’ involvement in the establishment of the CARES program, which offers non-police responses to mental-health crises. MOSES members do much of their work by introducing themselves to county board members and familiarizing them with issues MOSES is concerned about, he explained.
Panelists responded to audience questions to complete the hour.
Sheriff Barrett emphasized the need to work within budgetary constraints. “There are lots of great ideas,” he said. “But we have to ask: ‘What can we do with the money we’ve got?’”
Pellebon commented that what works in the city may not work in rural areas. Rural parts of the county don’t have the same resources, e.g. not even paid ambulance services. What can we push on? Only so much can be done. People need to pay attention to county board decisions; community engagement is vital. Dane Legistar has all the county meetings listed. You can register and speak, she told the audience.
Asked about cooperation with ICE, Sheriff Barrett said they recognize ICE as a legitimate government agency but are not working with it except when public safety is at risk. He added that it is important to elect more judges and other officials of color who care about these issues, and give them support once they’re in office.
Pellebon mentioned that we don’t have enough treatment and post-treatment available for harm-doers. Porchlight is one of the few shelters that will take sex offenders whose victims were children.
Re-entry must be coordinated to connect with resources, Barrett said; 72% of people jailed are out in three days. Rehabilitation needs to start when people first connect with the jail.
“By the time they get to Kalvin [Barrett], they’re in a criminal-legal system that’s not working,” Pellebon said. “We have to keep people out of the jail. We need to reach out to the police chiefs in Madison, Fitchburg, Sun Prairie: What are they doing to address disparities?” “Being a pest is ok!” she added.