That should immediately prompt the public toquestion not only Sheriff Clarke’s management skills, but also his politicalmotives for such an extraordinary announcement.
Those who suspect political chicanery are right ontarget.
With both the county executive and mayor of Milwaukee running for governor, Milwaukee County’sright-wing African-American sheriff is always looking for a way to grabpublicity for his next political attempt at higher office.
Beyond that, shutting down all alcohol and drugtreatment, job training and other rehabilitation programs in the House ofCorrection fits in perfectly with Clarke’s mean-spirited, conservativeideology.
Clarke stands alone among local leaders in lawenforcement in opposing programs to reduce recidivism by providing drug andalcohol treatment and other programs that could change the lives of offendersbefore they become more dangerous to the community.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm isexpanding diversion from prosecution for those who can benefit more fromtreatment and other programs than from incarceration. Chief Judge JeffreyKremers and other county judges are increasingly recognizing the value ofsentencing alternatives in reducing crime.
Chisholm, Kremers and other criminal justiceprofessionals succeeded last year in persuading the CountyBoard to restore funding for the Community Justice ResourceCenter, an alternative treatment andeducation program also known as the Day Reporting Center,after Clarke and County Executive Scott Walker tried to trash the program.
(Full disclosure: Kit McNally, executive director ofthe Benedict Center, who is my wife, was one of the community leaders whohelped establish the Day Reporting Center back in 1998.)
A few weeks after Kit and others spoke up to savethe Community Justice Resource Center,Clarke abruptly canceled a contract the BenedictCenter had for years to providelibrary services to inmates at the County Jail and the House ofCorrection.
Now Clarke, on very thin pretext, is abruptlyannouncing he has to shut down drug and alcohol treatment, job training and jobplacement for those at the House of Correction.
Is there a budget crisis already in the Sheriff’sDepartment that is forcing such drastic measures? Not really. Every departmentin county government has some financial uncertainties in their 2010 budgets.
That’s because Walkerand the County Board included estimates of budgetsavings that may or may not be successfully negotiated with county unions.
To use unknown possible shortages as an excuse toclose down services for the entire year that can actually reduce crime in Milwaukee is a bizarreaction for any law enforcement professional.
Hard Line, Easy Sell
But, of course, Clarke is not any law enforcementprofessional. He is one who has built his political popularity, particularlyamong conservative white suburban voters, by denouncing other African-Americanpolitical leaders and claiming to take a hard line against crime.
Clarke knows shutting down all services for thosewho are incarcerated to cut his own budget and save money for taxpayers is aneasy sell to many of his most fervent supporters. They hate the incarcerated asmuch as the sheriff does. They’re not going to weep for any inmates who don’tget drug treatment or job training.
They might care if they knew about the studiesshowing 60% or more of offenders released into the community without suchprograms commit new crimes. The recidivism rate for offenders who participatein treatment programs or job training can be less than a third of that.
But demagoguery trumps sociology every time.
Interestingly, in addition to cutting out allprogramming, Clarke also plans to close two dormitories at the House ofCorrection and release 120 offenders to home confinement with electronicmonitoring.
What that really tells you is there are at least 120low-level offenders, and probably many more, who pose so little threat to thecommunity that not even Clarke thinks they should be incarcerated.
Actually, Clarke’s announced actions could promotethe kind of disruptive behavior at the House of Correction the sheriff can useto justify not only removing programs, but also imposing harsher punishments.
Most of the inmates, who are either pre-trial orserving sentences of less than a year, are housed in open dormitories. As manyas 60 are in a dormitory with nothing but a single bunk of their own. There area few picnic tables in common areas.
Do you suppose 60 guys in constant contact all daywith nothing to do, no classes to attend, no treatment programs, not even abook from a library to read, might possibly have a few disagreements amongthemselves? Do you suppose that could lead to fights or acts of violence?
Is that what Sheriff Clarke really wants?
