Wisconsin could look to Missouri for juvenile justice reform

Fights among inmates. Inmates abused by guards. Intimidation. Staff shortages. The problems at Wisconsin’s youth prison have been well documented. But Wisconsin is not alone in facing challenges in its juvenile justice system. Missouri faced the very same problems, 45 years ago. Back in the 1970s, Missouri began a concerted effort to revamp its troubled youth prisons, largely the same problems Wisconsin faces today. And that blueprint may be what it takes to repair the dirty and dangerous conditions that exist in Wisconsin. Missouri closed the doors of its large juvenile lockups in favor of smaller facilities closer to the offender’s home. The focus is on therapy rather than punishment. Not just therapy, but also education and skills training. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has worked. Only 12% of juveniles released from Missouri’s correctional system were back behind bars in a year. In Wisconsin, that number is three times higher. And within 5 years of their release, 60 % of released juveniles are back behind bars in the Badger state. Clearly, what we are doing now isn’t working. Our lawmakers should look to the Missouri model for answers on how to provide juvenile justice reform in Wisconsin. Figuring out how shouldn’t be hard. There is a 45 year track record of success just a few states away.