Protect Children
Every child in Wisconsin, regardless of race or place, deserves a stable foundation and a chance to prosper.
Yet, the rich few try to pit our families against each other based on what we look like. By pushing racist narratives, they attempt to distract us as they hoard wealth and funnel money out of our communities and into their pockets. As a result, Wisconsin has become one of the most deeply segregated and inequitable places in the country for young people of color to live. We need to address the root causes of these inequities and remove the barriers, created by the wealthy few, that hold youth back from living a safe and happy life.
To protect children in Wisconsin, we must….
Oppose the Department of Corrections’ request to double the daily rate for youth incarceration in Wisconsin’s youth facilities (from $1268 to over $2300 a day), and continue to support the enforcement of Act 185 which would close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons.
End the practice of sentencing juveniles to life without parole. Severe disinvestment, over-policing in communities of color, and racial bias in our legal system has led to youth of color being over-represented within the criminal legal system – from policing to courts to incarceration. But no child deserves to be handed a life sentence in prison with no possibility of freedom. By ending juvenile life without parole, Wisconsin can end the practice of sentencing children to die in prison.
Eliminate all youth justice fines and fees. Wisconsin courts can charge families thousands of dollars when young people get into trouble with the law. If families can’t pay these costs, they may face consequences including having their tax returns or wages garnished. Not only does this court debt contribute to the cycle of poverty and racial inequity, but it also increases chances of recidivism and the cycle of incarceration for system-involved youth. Therefore we call on policy makers to eliminate all youth justice fines and fees.
“Raise the Minimum Age” of juvenile jurisdiction from 10 to at least 14. Wisconsin is now an outlier in the country in terms of prosecuting ten year old children as adults; it is one of only a handful of states that allow children so young to be transferred into the adult system. We demand Wisconsin end its persecution of young children by raising the minimum age of juvenile jurisdiction from 10 to at least 14.
“Raise the Age” of juvenile jurisdiction from 17 to at least 18. Every young person in Wisconsin deserves the opportunity to get an education, grow up in safe communities, and realize their potential. However, due to systemic racism and injustice, youth of color are over-represented within the criminal legal system—from policing to courts to incarceration. But, we can take a critical step in the right direction—by raising the age at which young people are treated as adults in the criminal justice system from 17 to 18.
Invest in community-based alternatives to incarceration rather than building new youth prisons. Wisconsin relies far too much on incarceration and blames children for system-wide failures. Instead of incarceration, a better investment for Wisconsin’s youth is in basic needs such as health, housing, and employment. Wisconsin should reimagine a community-based continuum of care grounded in youth voice, emerging adult research, and cross-system collaboration.