Wisconsin
Lawyer
Vol. 81, No. 2, February
2008
Wisconsin court system receives grant to improve criminal
justice system
The Wisconsin court system has received a $537,000 grant to help
research and develop strategies for
improving the effectiveness of the state's criminal justice system
during the next two and a half years.
The grant, awarded by the JEHT Foundation, will help fund the project
Enhancing Public Safety: Effective Justice
Strategies, building on local, evidence-based practices that deliver
effective outcomes for communities, victims, and defendants.
"This grant will help all stakeholders in the criminal justice
system work effectively together toward solutions
that enhance public safety and, where appropriate, reduce excessive
reliance on incarceration," said
Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson.
The project will build on work started at the local level, including
formation of Criminal Justice
Coordinating Councils and problem-solving courts. These efforts have
helped address underlying issues, such as drug
addiction, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and mental health problems.
During the last 15 years, Wisconsin has experienced unprecedented
growth in prison, jail, and
community corrections populations. Prison population has doubled over
the past decade, from 11,000 prisoners to more
than 23,000 prisoners and has tripled since 1990. This growth has had a
significant impact on the costs, workload
volume, and overall criminal justice system operations.
Objectives of the effective justice strategies effort include:
- enhancing public safety and reducing recidivism;
- providing courts with better information to deliver the most
effective sentences;
- identifying and fostering support for local, court-centered
programs; and
- recommending a comprehensive state-level strategy to promote and
implement effective criminal
justice strategies and evidence-based practices.
The New York City-based JEHT Foundation was established in 2000. The
name stands for the core values
that underlie its mission: justice, equality, human dignity, and
tolerance.
Wisconsin
Lawyer
