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Thursday, March 28, 2024
Public Protection and Judiciary Committee

Community members wishing to add in their voice to the issue of jail renovations fill out public comment cards.

Committee amends contentious jail resolution with public support

The Dane County Public Protection and Judiciary Committee amended a resolution for an incarceration study during its Tuesday night meeting after weeks of being contested by public testimony.

That amendment, proposed by Supervisor Leland Pan, struck down the resolution’s Section 4, which mentioned long-term planning that drew protest from community members over fears that it could lead to a new or expanded Dane County jail.

Pan said it does not make sense to put a large amount of money into a long-term study community members don’t want, and then be obligated to spend money to implement it without community say.

“That puts us at odds with an engaged community … [and] at odds with the communities disproportionately affected,” Pan added.

That amendment came under scrutiny from other members of the committee, who felt it could weaken the resolution.

“If you gut what [that long-term study] works on … we’ll be right back to where we are now,” Committee Chair Paul Rusk said. “I don’t necessarily agree that you can do short-term fixes to a 1954 jail.”

Rusk also addressed the rumors about a new jail, guaranteeing that there are no plans to expand the county jail in works.

Before the amendment was presented, the committee listened to public testimony, much of which supported the resolution’s dedication to addressing mental health and solitary confinement.

“[Solitary confinement] causes unimaginable psychological pain,” said area psychiatrist Douglas Kramer. “[These people] don’t deserve to have that kind of experience caused by us, who aren’t providing anything but solitary confinement to protect them from their disease … It’s a human rights abuse.”

Some people giving testimony also spoke out in support of improving jail conditions.

“I’m speaking in support of the resolution,” said Reverend Joseph Baring. “I know there’s people in society that need to be locked up … but they need humane conditions. They’re not animals.”

According to several committee members, the public turnout for testimony on this resolution was the largest they had seen.

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Some of that testimony was organized by the Young, Gifted, and Black Coalition, who held a rally before the committee meeting to re-affirm their stance against expanding jails.

“We’re in support of the resolution, with the amendments that say we’re not going to build a new jail,” said Young, Gifted and Black Coalition organizer Eric Upchurch. “Instead, we want to see that money going to communities and empowering communities.”

The committee also reviewed proposals directed at Dane County’s racial disparities, approving a proposal to reduce marijuana possession fines and hearing another about instituting a living wage for incarcerated workers.

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