News & Commentary

This is the enduring image of Scott Panetti, a severely mentally ill man on death row in Texas: a paranoid schizophrenic wearing a TV-Western cowboy costume; on trial for his life; insisting on defending himself without counsel; attempting to subpoena the Pope, John F. Kennedy, and Jesus Christ; and raising an insanity defense. At one point, he cross-examined his own alter-ego, Sarge, answering his own questions on-stand, in a different voice.

Eighteen community organizations signed the following letter to Mayor Tom Barrett; Alderman Michael Murphy, Common Council President; Alderman Terry Witkowski, Chair, Public Safety Committee; and Sarah Morgan, Chair of the Fire and Police Commission Board about the upcoming replacement of the Executive Director of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.

The following letter was sent to the Milwaukee Common Council regarding the Public Safety Committee Agenda Item on the prosecution of individuals for marijuana possession.

The following letter was sent to the Milwaukee Common Council regarding the Public Safety Committee Agenda Item on the Milwaukee Police Department's intent to pilot a program of using police officer body-worn cameras.

Significant racial disparities exist in marijuana enforcement in the City of Milwaukee.  In 2011, African Americans were over five times more likely to get arrested than white people, despite similar rates of usage.  Even as the total number of arrests decreased slightly from 2010 to 2011, the disparity of Black vs. white arrests increased.  Criminal record for simple possession creates a lifetime of collateral damage.  The punishment should fit the crime.

In Wisconsin, heavily-armed SWAT teams are raiding people’s homes in the middle of the night, often just to search for drugs. It should enrage us that people have needlessly died during these raids, that pets have been shot, and that homes have been ravaged.   

The time has come to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin. Colorado and Washington have a

ACLU Executive Director wrote the following letter to the City of Milwaukee's Common Council Public Safety Committee, addressed to the Chair, Alderman Terry Witkowski, to express concerns about the recent officer-involved shooting at Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee.

By Helen Vera, National Prison Project Fellow