County Jails at a Crossroads - Milwaukee County, WI

-
County Examples & SolutionsMilwaukee County’s Community Justice Council was formed in 2008 with the goal of ensuring “a fair, efficient, and effective justice system that enhances public safety and quality of life in our community.” As part of that goal, the county applied for and was chosen to be part of the National Institute of Corrections’ Evidence-Based Decision Making in Local Criminal Justice Systems initiative.County Jails at a Crossroads - Milwaukee County, WIJuly 6, 2015July 6, 2015, 11:45 am
-
Document
County Jails at a Crossroads - Milwaukee County, WI
- Mesa County, CO
- Read the Full Report
- Jails Data
- Interview
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
The Opportunity for Change
Milwaukee County’s Community Justice Council was formed in 2008 with the goal of ensuring “a fair, efficient, and effective justice system that enhances public safety and quality of life in our community.” As part of that goal, the county applied for and was chosen to be part of the National Institute of Corrections’ Evidence-Based Decision Making in Local Criminal Justice Systems initiative. As leaders began to examine their local criminal justice system, they began to learn about evidence-based pretrial reforms and realized Milwaukee County’s pretrial system could be improved upon. “Our pretrial supervision back then was one size fits all,” says Chief Judge Jeffrey Kremers. “If you were released pretrial, you were monitored by our agency and everyone got the same supervision regardless of their circumstances. We were overusing resources and monitoring fewer people.”
Milwaukee County's Model
Milwaukee County contracts with a non-profit organization called JusticePoint, Inc., to handle the majority of its pretrial services. These services begin with a screening of all individuals who are booked into the jail and face a bail decision to assess their risk for pretrial misconduct, which is defined as missing court or being rearrested while on pretrial release. Screenings take place 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using the Milwaukee County Pretrial Risk Assessment Instrument, the county’s intake interview and the county’s pretrial praxis, which recommends supervision conditions based on a person’s risk level and other predictors.
Milwaukee County’s praxis uses six predictors of pretrial outcomes, including:
- cases filed
- prior failures to appear
- arrest while on bond
- employment/care-giver status • residence, and
- substance abuse.
This assessment and praxis are then used to make recommendations to judicial officers about bond type and amount, as well as supervision level and conditions of supervision. These release conditions can include supervision and case management services such as call reminders, referrals to programs or services aimed to reduce risk and/or address issues that led to the person’s involvement in the justice system, electronic monitoring or a combination of any of these.
Successes and Outcomes
We’re supervising more people for less money per person.
Judge Kremers
By moving away from a one-size-fits-all pretrial program to individualized supervision strategies, Milwaukee County has been able to triple the number of individuals it supervises pretrial, without a similar increase in costs. “The increased supervision has required some additional resources, but certainly not three times as many,” Judge Kremers says. “We’re supervising more people for less money per person.”
As with all pretrial programs, public safety continues to the one of the county’s overriding concerns. The county is currently compiling more recent data, but a 2013 study showed that the county releases approximately 75 percent of its defendants pretrial. In particular,
87 percent of felony defendants released pretrial had no new criminal activity and 84 percent appeared for all of their court hearings.
Milwaukee County has also invested in building a new case management system, which will allow for very detailed tracking of cases, decisions, outcomes and more. Judge Kremers considers this investment a major success, as it shows both that the county agrees that the pretrial program has been effective and that
the county is committed to continuing to provide individualized pretrial supervision to eligible defendants.
Lessons Learned
PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU’RE DOING:
It’s imperative that you include all stakeholders from the beginning of the change process, and to respect everyone’s opinion. “Don’t just walk in and say, ‘This is the new way we’re going to do things,” suggests Judge Kremers. “Provide everybody with research that backs your ideas, and respect their ability to read it and understand it. That’s what will convince them.”HAVE A CLEAR MESSAGE AND BE READY TO DEFEND THE PRETRIAL PROCESS:
“If you’re a presiding or a chief judge, you need to be willing to stand up and take some heat from the public,” Judge Kremers says. “There will be situations where people don’t follow the statistical norms—100 percent of people are not going to act exactly as they should—and it’s important to be able and willing to clearly explain what you’re doing.”EMPHASIZE THAT THE PRETRIAL PROCESS USES DATA AND JUDICIAL JUDGEMENT:
Risk assessments help judges make informed, evidence-based decisions—they don’t replace a judge’s decision making. “Make sure everybody understands that the way we get the best outcomes is to couple data with judicial judgement,” Judge Kremers says. “We’re not taking away discretion or replacing anyone with a computer, we’re combining judges’ professional judgement with what data and research tells us.”
- Mesa County, CO
- Read the Full Report
- Jails Data
- Interview
Milwaukee County’s Community Justice Council was formed in 2008 with the goal of ensuring “a fair, efficient, and effective justice system that enhances public safety and quality of life in our community.” As part of that goal, the county applied for and was chosen to be part of the National Institute of Corrections’ Evidence-Based Decision Making in Local Criminal Justice Systems initiative.2015-07-06County Examples & Solutions2015-08-25
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
The Opportunity for Change
Milwaukee County’s Community Justice Council was formed in 2008 with the goal of ensuring “a fair, efficient, and effective justice system that enhances public safety and quality of life in our community.” As part of that goal, the county applied for and was chosen to be part of the National Institute of Corrections’ Evidence-Based Decision Making in Local Criminal Justice Systems initiative. As leaders began to examine their local criminal justice system, they began to learn about evidence-based pretrial reforms and realized Milwaukee County’s pretrial system could be improved upon. “Our pretrial supervision back then was one size fits all,” says Chief Judge Jeffrey Kremers. “If you were released pretrial, you were monitored by our agency and everyone got the same supervision regardless of their circumstances. We were overusing resources and monitoring fewer people.”
Milwaukee County's Model
Milwaukee County contracts with a non-profit organization called JusticePoint, Inc., to handle the majority of its pretrial services. These services begin with a screening of all individuals who are booked into the jail and face a bail decision to assess their risk for pretrial misconduct, which is defined as missing court or being rearrested while on pretrial release. Screenings take place 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using the Milwaukee County Pretrial Risk Assessment Instrument, the county’s intake interview and the county’s pretrial praxis, which recommends supervision conditions based on a person’s risk level and other predictors.
Milwaukee County’s praxis uses six predictors of pretrial outcomes, including:
- cases filed
- prior failures to appear
- arrest while on bond
- employment/care-giver status • residence, and
- substance abuse.

This assessment and praxis are then used to make recommendations to judicial officers about bond type and amount, as well as supervision level and conditions of supervision. These release conditions can include supervision and case management services such as call reminders, referrals to programs or services aimed to reduce risk and/or address issues that led to the person’s involvement in the justice system, electronic monitoring or a combination of any of these.
Successes and Outcomes
We’re supervising more people for less money per person.
Judge Kremers
By moving away from a one-size-fits-all pretrial program to individualized supervision strategies, Milwaukee County has been able to triple the number of individuals it supervises pretrial, without a similar increase in costs. “The increased supervision has required some additional resources, but certainly not three times as many,” Judge Kremers says. “We’re supervising more people for less money per person.”
As with all pretrial programs, public safety continues to the one of the county’s overriding concerns. The county is currently compiling more recent data, but a 2013 study showed that the county releases approximately 75 percent of its defendants pretrial. In particular,
87 percent of felony defendants released pretrial had no new criminal activity and 84 percent appeared for all of their court hearings.
Milwaukee County has also invested in building a new case management system, which will allow for very detailed tracking of cases, decisions, outcomes and more. Judge Kremers considers this investment a major success, as it shows both that the county agrees that the pretrial program has been effective and that
the county is committed to continuing to provide individualized pretrial supervision to eligible defendants.
Lessons Learned
PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU’RE DOING:
It’s imperative that you include all stakeholders from the beginning of the change process, and to respect everyone’s opinion. “Don’t just walk in and say, ‘This is the new way we’re going to do things,” suggests Judge Kremers. “Provide everybody with research that backs your ideas, and respect their ability to read it and understand it. That’s what will convince them.”HAVE A CLEAR MESSAGE AND BE READY TO DEFEND THE PRETRIAL PROCESS:
“If you’re a presiding or a chief judge, you need to be willing to stand up and take some heat from the public,” Judge Kremers says. “There will be situations where people don’t follow the statistical norms—100 percent of people are not going to act exactly as they should—and it’s important to be able and willing to clearly explain what you’re doing.”EMPHASIZE THAT THE PRETRIAL PROCESS USES DATA AND JUDICIAL JUDGEMENT:
Risk assessments help judges make informed, evidence-based decisions—they don’t replace a judge’s decision making. “Make sure everybody understands that the way we get the best outcomes is to couple data with judicial judgement,” Judge Kremers says. “We’re not taking away discretion or replacing anyone with a computer, we’re combining judges’ professional judgement with what data and research tells us.”
About Kathy Rowings (Full Bio)
Kathy Rowings is the Associate Program Director for Justice at the National Association of Counties (NACo).More from Kathy Rowings
-
Blog
U.S. Department of Homeland Security announces $2 Billion in preparedness grants
On February 27, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced more than $2 billion in funding for eight Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 preparedness grant programs. -
Reports & Toolkits
Planning Principles Toolkit
Tools, templates and strategic guidance for maximizing the impact of opioid settlement funds on your community’s opioid abatement priorities. -
Blog
Familiar Faces Initiative: Adams County, Colo.
Improving Outcomes through Coordinated Health and Justice Systems Adams County, Colo. -
Webinar
Reducing Jail Populations: Decreasing Bookings and/or Arrests through Diversion, Citations and Warrant Avoidance and Resolution
Mar. 2, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pmUnable to attend? Watch the recording here. -
Blog
CMS approves first-ever MIEP waiver for the state of California
On January 26, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, approved a first-of-its-kind Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program section 1115 demonstration amendment in California, which will connect justice-involved people in jails and prisons with community-based Medicaid providers 90 days before their release to ensure continuity of care upon return to the community. -
Reports & Toolkits
Behavioral Health Matters to Counties
Through 750 behavioral health authorities and community providers, county governments plan and operate community-based services for persons with mental illnesses and substance use conditions.
-
Webinar
County Leaders Championing Justice Efforts in Local Communities
April 5, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pmCounties are directing resources to programs, practices and policies to reduce the overuse and misuse of the criminal legal system, improve public safety, better serve residents with behavioral health conditions and improve community stability and health.04052:00 pm<p>Counties are directing resources to programs, practices and policies to reduce the overuse and misuse of the criminal legal system, improve public safety, better serve residents with behavioral health conditions and improve communit
-
Webinar
Reducing Jail Populations: Lowering Recidivism through Jail- and Community-Based Treatment and Services
April 6, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pmReducing recidivism through effective jail- and community-based services can decrease jail admissions and populations and improve outcomes for people with criminal histories.04062:00 pm<p>Reducing recidivism through effective jail- and community-based services can decrease jail admissions and populations and improve outcomes for people with criminal histories.</p>
-
Basic page
The Stepping Up Initiative
In May 2015, NACo and partners at the CSG Justice Center and APA Foundation launched Stepping Up: A National Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails.pagepagepage<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="call-out">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td> -
Basic page
Justice & Public Safety Steering Committee
All matters pertaining to criminal justice and public safety systems, including criminal justice planning, law enforcement, courts, corrections, homeland security, community crime prevention, juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, emergency management, fire prevention and control, and civil disturbances.pagepagepage<p>All matters pertaining to criminal justice and public safety systems, including criminal justice planning, law enforcement, courts, corrections, homeland security, community crime prevention, juvenile justice and delinquency preven
-
Reports & Toolkits
Opioid Solutions Center
NACo’s Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.Reports & Toolkitsdocument10123:30 pmReports & Toolkits<p>NACo's Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.
Related News
-
BlogU.S. Department of Homeland Security announces $2 Billion in preparedness grantsMar. 14, 2023
-
BlogFamiliar Faces Initiative: Adams County, Colo.Mar. 3, 2023
-
BlogCMS approves first-ever MIEP waiver for the state of CaliforniaFeb. 27, 2023
Related Resources
-
Reports & ToolkitsPlanning Principles ToolkitMar. 6, 2023
-
DocumentThe Principles Quick Guide to Conducting a Needs AssessmentFeb. 27, 2023
-
Reports & ToolkitsBehavioral Health Matters to CountiesFeb. 12, 2023
More from the Report
Interview with the Author
Dr. Natalie Ortiz discusses the critical insights gained in her research

Explore the data
Related Events
-
5Apr2023Webinar
County Leaders Championing Justice Efforts in Local Communities
Apr. 5, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm -
6Apr2023Webinar
Reducing Jail Populations: Lowering Recidivism through Jail- and Community-Based Treatment and Services
Apr. 6, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Upcoming Events
-
22Mar2023Webinar
Prenatal-to-Three Peer Learning Network: Long-Term Strategies for Strengthening the Child Care Workforce (Urban/Larger Counties)
Mar. 22, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm -
23Mar2023Webinar
BRECC National Network: Shaping your Coal Community’s Approach to Economic Diversification
Mar. 23, 2023 , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm -
24Mar2023Webinar
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Breaking Down USDOT’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Discretionary Grant for Counties
Mar. 24, 2023 , 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
More From
-
Opioid Solutions Center
NACo’s Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.
Learn More