• COVID-19 Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Promotions
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • May 9, 2025

Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

"THE NEWSPAPER YOU CAN TRUST SINCE 1964"

  • News
  • Editorials
  • Education
  • Urban Business
  • Health
  • Religion
  • Upcoming Events
  • Classifieds
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MILWAUKEE COURIER

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Supervision is the Key to Address Mass Incarceration

March 9, 2024

By Representative Dora E. Drake
Assembly District 11

Representative Dora E. Drake,
Assembly District 11

During my time at the Center for Self Sufficiency, we would host welcome home gatherings for people coming home from prison. One of the individuals I worked with, John, came to one of the gatherings where we presented duffel bags filled with necessary items, toiletries, and provided food and resources. But John was visibly irritated due to his visit with his probation officer prior to the event. John shared that one of his rules for supervision prevented him from writing, even though he was a published writer and writing was his sole resource for income at the time. I did not believe it for myself until he showed me his paperwork at that moment. John’s story is just one of multiple scenarios where people experience punitive measures versus rehabilitative opportunities to redeem themselves after they served their time in prison.

Over the last several years, there have been steps made in the right direction. One of the pieces of legislation that came out from the Legislative Council Study Committee on Increasing Offender Employment Opportunities is creating a one stop re-entry building where people will be supported and provided resources. Even though it passed the Assembly floor and is going through the Senate, there are several policies we need to push in order to address the mass incarceration in Wisconsin.

On March 7th, 2024, Wisconsin’s Day of Empathy was hosted by national and local stakeholders who provided a variety of workshops to educate legislators and the general public on supervision. As a panelist for the event and having the opportunity to speak with several individuals, here are but a few takeaways that I believe are paramount to moving the needle.

The first takeaway is acknowledging that supervision is another form of incarceration. When you appear before a judge and the judge delivers the verdict, the time you are sentenced for custody and supervision are both treated as incarceration due to our truth in sentencing laws. The second takeaway is providing incentives for individuals who are taking actions to improve their lives such as seeking employment or seeking mental health services. Many individuals remain on supervision for 5, 10 or even 20 years. If justice-impacted individuals are positively engaging in our communities, the data shows they are less likely to re-offend and our communities are safer. Therefore, we should have policies that grant time credited towards one’s supervision for individuals who are positively contributing to our communities.

We have family members that are still impacted by the justice system because of their loved one’s experiences who are on supervision. It’s time we address mass incarceration by having supervision reform in Wisconsin.

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Popular Interests In This Article: Dora Drake, Mass Incarceration

Read More - Related Articles

  • Protect & Embrace Medicaid, Lives Depend On It!
  • Wisconsin Legislators Advocate for Governor Evers Proposed State Budget
  • Investing in Our Children Matters
  • Why Wisconsin Needs the WIN Bill
  • Investments Matter: Capitol One Pledges $265 Billion Towards a Community Benefits Plan
Become Our Fan On Facebook
Find Us On Facebook


Follow Us On X
Follow Us On X

Editorials

Lakeshia Myers
Michelle Bryant
Dr. Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi formerly known as Dr. Ramel Smith

Journalists

Karen Stokes

Topics

Health Care & Wellness
Climate Change
Upcoming Events
Obituaries
Milwaukee NAACP

Politicians

David Crowley
Cavalier Johnson
Marcelia Nicholson
Governor Tony Evers
President Joe Biden
Vice President Kamala Harris
Former President Barack Obama
Gwen Moore
Milele A. Coggs
Spencer Coggs

Classifieds

Job Openings
Bid Requests
Req Proposals
Req Quotations
Apts For Rent

Contact Us

Milwaukee Courier
2003 W. Capitol Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53206
Ph: 414.449.4860
Fax: 414.906.5383

Copyright © 2025 · Courier Communications | View Privacy Policy | Site built and maintained by Farrell Marketing Technology LLC
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.