White, Chisholm and Reed go 'On the Issues' to discuss Milwaukee County's use of PSA risk assessment tool

May 16, 2017

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Chief Judge Maxine White, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and Wisconsin First Assistant State Public Defender Tom Reed will be the featured guests in an upcoming "On the Issues with Mike Gousha," Wednesday, May 24, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. at Marquette University Law School's Eckstein Hall.

Since 2012, Milwaukee County has been using an evidence-based risk tool to help guide bail decisions. Last year, as part of that effort, Milwaukee County became one of a small number of jurisdictions in the country using a new tool to help judges decide which defendants should be detained on cash bail prior to trial and which defendants should be released. The Public Safety Assessment tool has been billed by some as one of the most significant criminal justice reform initiatives currently underway in the U.S.

Created by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, the risk assessment tool is designed to provide judges with research-based, predictive information about the risk that a defendant released before trial will engage in violence, commit a new crime, or fail to return to court. The larger goal is to increase public safety, maximize court appearances and ensure the most efficient use of available jail and pretrial supervision resources. How has this new approach worked in Milwaukee County to date? Join us as White, Chisholm and Reed discuss the reasons for the PSA initiative, its implementation and its early results.

Gousha, an award-winning broadcast journalist, is the Law School's distinguished fellow in law and public policy. His "On the Issues" series of conversations with newsmakers supports Marquette Law School's commitment to serve as a modern-day public square for the city of Milwaukee, the state of Wisconsin and beyond.

Through public programming such as the Marquette Law School Poll, debates featuring candidates in significant political races, Gousha's "On the Issues" conversations with newsmakers, public lectures by leading scholars and conferences on significant issues of public importance, the Law School serves as the region's leading venue for serious civil discourse about law and public policy matters.

The event is at capacity for members of the general public; registration for a waiting list is available online. Members of the media who are interested in attending should contact Chris Jenkins in the Office of Marketing and Communication.