So says the
May 9, 2008 Eye On The Capitol press release by John Huebscher, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference. He begins by noting that in 1999 the Wisconsin Bishops formed a task force that lead to their September 1, 1999 statement
Public Safety, the Common Good, and the Church: A Statement on Crime and Punishment in Wisconsin. Among topics it addressed was racial disparities in conviction rates. Mr. Huebscher tells us that,
Nearly a decade later, that disparity still exists. By some measures, it may be worse.
Mr. Huebscher cited reported studies by the Sentencing Project and Human Rights Watch on sentencing disparities but does go on to say,
Studies are not infallible and they may reflect certain policy preferences.
It's good to see that noted, since some might have that same reaction to a statement by Wisconsin's Catholic Bishops.
Huebscher was smart enough to leave himself an out.
ReplyDeleteSeems to me that 'broken-windows' policing will lead to arrests on drug charges.
Of course, such policing is not practiced in suburbia, nor in exurbia.
The study could just as well have indicated that Milwaukee residents are overly represented in criminal courts and prisons.