Should Dane County renovate its jail?

Nino Rodriguez of MOSES speaks against renovations to the Dane County Jail at a debate on the UW-Madison campus Thursday night (Ethan Safran/Madison Commons).The state of the current Dane County jail is a humanitarian problem, supporters of a planned renovation say, but opponents argue that investment in incarceration sends a terrible message about community priorities.  

These positions were debated in the context of proposed renovations to the jail at UW-Madison on Thursday night.

Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney and Dr. Doug Kramer, professor emeritus at the UW-Madison’s School of Psychiatry, supported renovations to the jail. Young, Gifted and Black Coalition member M Adams and Madison Organizing in Strength, Equality and Solidarity (MOSES) volunteer Nino Rodriguez argued against the renovations.

The evening ended with Adams challenging Madison Police Chief Mike Koval to a debate.

Mahoney began the debate with a statement about the death of Tony Robinson, the unarmed 19-year-old killed by a Madison police officer last week.  He noted the seriousness of the issue, apologizing for the friction among law enforcement and citizens.

“This needs to be addressed because it involves people’s lives,” Mahoney said. “It involves real people.”

In his remarks in support of the jail, he argued sticking doors and mechanical problems continue to plague the aging facility. Mahoney said none of the three jail housing facilities offer special needs housing.

“We have a moral and ethical responsibility to provide these services,” he said.

He said no substantial programs exist to address the core reasons why people commit crimes.

Adams, however, saw the issue differently.

“The black community is facing a human rights crisis,” she said. “We need human rights solutions. Jail will not make the black community safer.”

Adams, Rodriguez and others in attendance wore shirts with the words “Free the 350,” a call for the release of 350 inmates. Adams said such a release would allow the jail population to better reflect the number of African Americans in the Madison community.

“We have a moral and ethical responsibility to be a great city not just for white people,” Adams said to roaring applause.

In his speech, Kramer suggested solitary confinement and the suicide chair — common measures implemented inside jails — are akin to torture. He said sufferers of psychotic episodes endure states of “unimaginable pain.”

“In my opinion, the jail needs to be replaced because it is inhumane for everyone that’s there,” he said.

Following Kramer, Rodriguez highlighted the effects of structural racism on Madison residents. He said many in the city, especially those on the South Side, see safety as synonymous with community centers, playgrounds and opportunities for dialogue — and not jails.

“We must create a movement from vulnerability to safety,” he said.

By the debate’s end, a final tally indicated 80 percent of the audience expressed dissatisfaction with jail renovation.  After closing statements from Mahoney and then Rodriguez and Adams, the room filled with an audible chant.

“Black lives matter, power to the people,” the audience shouted.