Dane County TAD Resolution Introduced
11-26-2017 A resolution to increase state funding for the Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) Grant Program by $15 million was introduced at the 11/30/17 Dane County Board of Supervisors meeting. Introducing the resolution was Supervisor Paul Rusk, Chair of the Public Protection and Judiciary (PP&J) Committee, with support from the other PP&J committee members: Supervisors Carousel Bayrd, Dorothy Krause (MOSES member), Maureen McCarville, and Michael Willett.
The introduction of county board TAD resolutions was initiated by the WISDOM Prison Prevention Task Force. WISDOM affiliates are working with county representatives to propose the introduction of this TAD Country Resolution within each of their counties.
MOSES successfully worked with our county representatives to be the first WISDOM affiliate to obtain the introduction of this TAD County Resolution at a County Board of Supervisors meeting. In addition to obtaining the support of the PP&J County Supervisors, MOSES also obtained the support of the County Executive Joe Parisi and Sharon Corrigan, Chair of the County Board of Supervisors.
Why now?
Counties have done their budgets and are aware of unmet needs for treatment alternatives. We need to continually keep this issue in front of state budget committees as they make periodic adjustments to the budget throughout the state budget cycle. Why a $15 million increase? In 2012, a Lafollette Institute Study recommended $20 million/year and an increase of $15 million/year would put us near this recommendation.
The resolution asks that the County Executive and County Board of Supervisors direct a copy of this resolution be sent to our State Legislators and to Governor Scott Walker. The vote on this resolution by County Supervisors will take place in a few weeks.
MOSES members can help.
Call your Dane County Supervisor to request a “yes” vote on this TAD resolution and to thank them for their support. Thanks for taking this extra effort to keep this issue “front and center”!
The prison population in Wisconsin has more than tripled since 1990. Wisconsin has the highest black male incarceration rate in the country. Madison has the highest black male incarceration in the state. Incarceration is expensive and comes with additional social costs. We can keep people out of prison:
- Increase funding for Treatment Alternatives and Diversions (TAD). A 2012 study showed that by fully funding the state’s Treatment Alternatives and Diversions fund, Wisconsin could keep 3,000 people per year out of the state’s prisons, and more than 27,000 from ever going to jail.
- Reform Wisconsin’s sentencing laws. Inordinately long prison sentences do nothing to enhance safety, they are extremely costly, and they reduce the odds that the offender will be successfully re-integrated back into the community when she/he is released.
- Keep all 17 year-olds in the juvenile system.