What’s Happening: Equitas

Milwaukee 53206

In preparation for the upcoming Course Corrections: Milwaukee Summit on Mental Health & Criminal Justice, Equitas hosted a screening of the 2016 film Milwaukee 53206 in south Denver. Cross-sector partners from around Colorado attended the screening, followed by an enlightening discussion about the racism and segregation within our justice system. The film documents the lives of families living in the zip code 53206, which is known for incarcerating the highest percentage of African American males within the U.S. To learn more about the film, visit the Milwaukee 53206 website.

Milwaukee Summit

In early October, Equitas traveled to the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee to host Course Corrections: Milwaukee Summit on Mental Health & Criminal Justice. The convening brought together local and national partners, including the faith community, re-entry advocates, pre-trial legal counsel, the district attorney’s and public defender’s offices, law enforcement and corrections, academicians, primary and behavioral health care, and leaders from the NAACP, Disability Rights Wisconsin, and Milwaukee County.

Advocates from across the country have taken notice of Milwaukee due to this zip code being the most racially segregated, as well as the most incarcerated. As such, Milwaukee is a prime candidate for reform work. Stakeholders shared their work and discussed priorities, timelines, and strategies to move access to mental health treatment upstream into the community, and away from the justice system. See the compendium of resources provided by the group, and visit the event webpage to read more about the priorities of and participants in the event.

Coming Up

Equitas will be participating in the upcoming “Smart Decarceration Initiative Tools and Tactics: Promising Solutions to Advance the Era of Smart Decarceration.” This 2nd National Conference will take place at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration from November 24. To learn more about the conference, visit their website.