News and Commentary
This page displays timely announcements, news reports, and articles written by MOSES members previously published in our newsletters, yearbook, or venues. The main display shows all items with the most recent first. You can select particular topics, working groups, or types of information to see the articles of one type, with the most recent first. Also see the Publications & Resources page for links to whole newsletters and yearbooks as well as other resources for research.
Restorative Justice (RJ) and School Wellness
By Shel Gross In my career as a lobbyist, I learned that the road to policy approval can be long and circuitous. I can point to policy “wins” that were 15 years in the making. While it wasn’t quite that long, the odyssey that led to the Leadership Board’s approval of the Racial Justice for All Children Task Force issue paper on Restorative Justice and School Wellness put me in mind of those days. Different interests and efforts mixed and matched over a number of years, resulting in something...
Meet Returning Citizen Leon Irby
Meet Returning Citizen Leon Irby By Sherry Reames When Leon Irby entered prison in 1972, he was facing the kind of sentence that could, under the right circumstances, have allowed his release on parole as soon as 1999 or 2000. As things turned out, however, he wasn’t released until another 25 years had gone by. When I asked what kept him behind bars for more than 50 years, he said, with a wry smile, that he was a “‘60s social activist” in his youth and never let himself be reconciled...
Madison Action Day
By Margaret Irwin Madison Action Day received an extra boost of energy as some 400 participants celebrated the 25th anniversary of WISDOM. The biannual event took place on April 10, beginning with a plenary session at the Masonic Temple. This was followed by a march to the Capitol and a rally on the State Street steps, visits to legislative offices, and a wrap-up at Grace Episcopal Church, before many boarded buses to return to their homes across the state. The morning program included...
Engaging Our Congregations
Friends of MOSES at Grace Episcopal Church By Margaret Irwin People in our congregations who support the work of MOSES may hesitate to get involved because they are already busy with other commitments. So how do we recruit active members and allies? I started by inviting our Organizer, James Morgan, to speak about MOSES at a Sunday forum. He was enthusiastically received, and some people signed a form indicating an interest in learning more. I wasn’t sure what the next step should be but...
Upcoming meetings
General Membership (Hybrid, as of this edition) Sunday, May 18, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 8, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 13, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Leadership Board (Hybrid) Saturday, May 31, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Saturday, July 26, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. MOSES Task Forces (via Zoom) Justice System Reform Initiative (JSRI) May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Racial Justice for All Children (RJAC) May 20,...
Some Good News from the Sentencing Project
Submitted by Katie Mulligan Youth arrests and incarceration increased in the closing decades of the 20th century but have fallen sharply since. Public opinion often lags behind these realities, wrongly assuming both that crime is perpetually increasing and that youth offending is routinely violent. In fact, youth offending is predominantly nonviolent, and the 21st century has seen significant declines in youth arrests and incarceration. Between 2000 and 2022, the number of youth held in...
Notes from the November 2024 Summit on Homelessness
By Patti LaCross This year the Temporary Education Program leaders of MMSD and Sun Prairie Schools, in coordination with the Education+ Advocacy Group of the Homeless Services Consortium (HSC) in which I participate, expanded the annual Homeless Awareness effort to include other Dane County schools. Here is some of what we heard that day: While the average US housing vacancy is 2%, Wisconsin's is now less than ½%. Dane County has the largest housing gap in the state, already 11,000 short....
Madison Christian Community: An Interview with Its Pastors
By Ken Warren Madison Christian Community (MCC), one of the faith communities supporting MOSES, is rather unique in the area. The church actually consists of two congregations from different denominations, Advent Lutheran of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and Community of Hope of the United Church of Christ (UCC). The building contains two sanctuaries where the two congregations typically have individual worship services. About 45 times a year the two congregations have the...
Meet Returning Citizen Jessica Jacobs
By Margaret Irwin Growing up in a troubled home, Jessica Jacobs had to deal with a lot of problems; and as she puts it, the problems get passed down from one generation to the next. Jessica appreciates her mother, who did the best she could to take care of the family, mostly as a single mom. Nevertheless, Jessica had her first child at 14. She was fostered by a friend of the family when her mom wasn’t able to take care of her. Jessica started working full time and had to drop out of school...
A JustConversation on Discretion, Charging Disparities, and Racial Dynamics in Criminal Justice
A JustConversation on Discretion, Charging Disparities, and Racial Dynamics in Criminal Justice By Pamela Gates, with thanks to Vicki Warren On Jan. 17, 2025, JustDane and the Madison Justice Team hosted a panel that explored justice in Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, and the nation under the particular topics of discretion, disparities, and equity. JustDane Associate Director Shar-Ron Buie moderated the panel at the UW Partnership Space before a very interested crowd that filled the room....