Gov. Jim Doyle was honored at a ceremony Thursday evening for his accomplishments in reducing racial disparities in the Wisconsin justice system. ?
In an event held at the Madison Club on East Wilson Street, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency presented Doyle with its Ira A. Lipman award for progressive and dynamic leadership in carrying out effective crime control and prevention policies.
The NCCD is a 100-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to reforming the justice system, most notably through the creation of a separate juvenile court, the passage of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 and the creation of the Children’s Research Center in 1993.
Chris Baird, executive vice president of the NCCD, welcomed the guests and gave background information on what the Ira Lipman award was all about.
“Each year, this award is presented to a public official who exemplifies enlightened and forceful leadership in crime prevention and control, promoting policies that are fair, humane and effective,” Baird said. ?
Attorney General Janet Reno and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy are among some of the high-profile recipients who have received this award in the past. ?
Baird applauded Doyle for creating the Commission on Reducing Racial Disparities in the Wisconsin Justice System, a commission dedicated to developing and recommending policies to address the disproportionate incarceration of minorities to whites. ?
In April 2007, Doyle issued an executive order to create the commission of 24 individuals from across the state, whose job was to find discrimination in the justice system and recommend solutions.
Madison Police Chief and Co-chair of the CRRD Noble Wray, talked about the work being done by the commission. ?
“The Commission finds that racial disparities within the criminal justice system are a serious problem that should be addressed regardless of whether they arise by chance or from intentional discrimination,” Wray said.
Wray went on to discuss how the commission worked with experts to analyze data and discuss solutions to racial disparities, held public hearings and visited prisons in the state to come up with their recommendations for reform. ?
Wray also praised Doyle’s involvement in the project, saying he put the commission in a position to succeed. Doyle helped the committee stay focused on tasks at hand, which allowed the committee to deliver its recommendations within a year of starting. ?
Doyle accepted his award with humility, saying, “I knew I was honored to receive this, and then when I heard who some of the other recipients were, I was really humbled.”
Doyle also said the disproportionate prison system is wrong and needed to be dealt with swiftly.? He added there cannot be real reform without diversity, adding respect is key and that CRRD would continue its work and track whether progress is made.