Milwaukee's Racial Disparity in Prisons and Chisholm's Reform
This paper examines the severe racial disparities in Wisconsin's criminal justice system, where African Americans constitute 37% of the prison population despite being only 6% of the state's residents. Drawing on Jeffrey Toobin's 2015 New Yorker article, the paper focuses on Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm's response to these inequities. Chisholm invited independent researchers to audit prosecutorial practices, revealing that Black defendants were prosecuted at significantly higher rates than white defendants for comparable offenses. The paper describes his early intervention program, which stations prosecutors in neighborhoods, uses assessment questionnaires to divert low-level offenders, and incorporates cognitive-behavioral therapy — reducing the number of Black men sent to prison on drug charges by half since 2006.
- Overview of Racial Disparity in Wisconsin Prisons: Black incarceration rates far exceed population share
- Prosecutorial Bias Revealed Through Independent Review: Audit exposes unequal prosecution of Black defendants
- Chisholm's Community-Based Reform Strategy: Prosecutors embedded in neighborhoods to improve fairness
- Early Intervention and Diversion Programs: Questionnaires and therapy divert low-level offenders
- Criticism and Outcomes: Opposition noted; drug incarcerations cut by half
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Uses specific statistics (37% of prisoners, 13% of Black males incarcerated in Wisconsin) to ground abstract claims about racial disparity in concrete evidence.
- Moves logically from identifying a problem to describing a policy response, giving the paper a clear cause-and-effect structure.
- Acknowledges counterarguments by briefly noting opposition from Sheriff David Clarke, adding balance without undermining the central thesis.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates evidence-based policy analysis: it identifies a documented social problem using quantitative data, traces an institutional response to that problem, and evaluates outcomes. By citing both disparity statistics and program results (drug-charge incarcerations cut in half since 2006), the writer connects cause to measurable effect — a foundational move in criminal justice and social policy writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with national context before narrowing to Wisconsin and Milwaukee County. It then introduces Chisholm as the agent of change, details the audit that revealed prosecutorial bias, describes the early intervention and diversion mechanisms, addresses criticism, and closes with a brief outcome assessment. Each paragraph advances the narrative one step, making the argument easy to follow despite the complex subject matter.
Overview of Racial Disparity in Wisconsin Prisons
The seeming injustice of so many African American males serving time in prison has been recognized as a national problem for a long time. However, a report in The New Yorker about the ratio of Black males in Wisconsin's prisons reveals a problem considerably greater than the national picture. This paper examines that issue and reports on what one prosecutor is attempting to do about it.
In Wisconsin, African Americans are only 6% of the entire population, yet they constitute 37% of all imprisoned persons. Studies completed in 2010 show that 13% of all African American males in Wisconsin are in prison. More troubling still, in Milwaukee County, "more than half of African-American men in their thirties had served time in state prison" (Toobin, 2015). Jeffrey Toobin's article notes that Milwaukee County's District Attorney, John Chisholm — fully aware of the power and authority that prosecutors hold — decided to allow an independent researcher to review how he and his staff implemented justice.
Prosecutorial Bias Revealed Through Independent Review
The review produced striking findings. A large percentage (41%) of white defendants charged with drug paraphernalia offenses were not prosecuted, whereas only 27% of Black defendants charged with the same crime escaped prosecution. The same disproportionate pattern existed between white and Black women accused of prostitution. Given that disparity, and the widely publicized incidents in which white police officers were videotaped shooting Black suspects, Chisholm decided to "undertake initiatives to try to send fewer people to prison" (Toobin, 26).
His research showed in particular that low-level drug offenders who posed no clear threat to the public did not deserve lengthy prison sentences. This finding became the foundation for a broader reconsideration of prosecutorial priorities in Milwaukee County.
Chisholm's Community-Based Reform Strategy
The action Chisholm took was, in hindsight, a democratically oriented strategy designed to incorporate greater fairness into the community. He began stationing prosecutors in neighborhoods across Milwaukee and started examining every case closely to determine whether prosecution was warranted. Toobin's article also addresses the national crisis of mass incarceration among African Americans — the United States holds the highest incarceration rate in the world, and Black Americans, who make up only 13% of the country's population, represent nearly 40% of the prison population.
The article further notes how little Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker did to address the injustice facing Black prisoners. His administration instead focused on cutting education funding, fighting unions, and working "to expand gun rights" (Toobin, 28).
Works Cited
Toobin, J. (2015). The Milwaukee Experiment. The New Yorker.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.