Safety

There is a reduction in violence toward individuals and families.

Why It Matters

• It costs approximately $28,000 per year to keep one person in prison

• Children who grow up in homes with one or more parents in prison are six times as likely to end up in prison

• Children who live in violent homes are more likely to run away, self-mutilate and attempt suicide

Dane County Facts

• We are seeing more of an increase in violent crimes compared to state and national trends

• 3,057 instances of domestic violence occur annually with the following results: decreased ability to hold a job, twice as likely to be on public assistance, increased chronic health problems, spreads the cycle of violence

• 50 percent of released prisoners re-offend

• In 2002 there were 334 victims of child abuse/neglect

• 60 percent of people in prison were abused as children

Vision

The Safe Communities-Strong Neighborhoods Community Solution Team envisions a Dane County where people build communities and neighborhoods that are caring, inclusive, safe, and economically productive.

Reports

Download ReintegrationPDF (45.6 KB)

 

What We’re Doing

We are taking action to break the cycle of violence and build a stronger community.

• Breaking the Cycle
  Children who have experienced violence are susceptible to serious long-term problems, including depression, anxiety and violent behavior. We are helping them overcome emotional difficulties and heal.

• Youth Education
  We are educating youth on the importance of positive relationships and non-violent conflict resolution. By engaging young people, we’re helping them see that they can make positive choices throughout their lives. This preventive work is creating positive change by stopping violence before it can begin.

• Community Reintegration Pilot
  In 2005, United Way and partners developed the Community Reintegration Pilot in order to tackle the criminal re-offence rate. Currently, 66 percent of prisoners returning to our community are likely to commit a crime and return to prison, often because of their difficulty in finding housing, employment, and a positive support network.
  This pilot is providing a one-stop resource for returning prisoners to meet with organizations that provide the support they need to successfully re-enter our community. Together, we will reduce the recidivism rate 20 percent by 2010, making our community a safer place.

 

Community Reintegration Pilot Partners

• Dane County District Attorney’s Office

• Dane County Sheriff’s Department

• Department of Corrections

• Madison Police Department

• Workforce Development Board

 

Program Partners

• American Red Cross, Badger Chapter

• ARC Community Services

• Canopy Center

• Centro Hispano of Dane County

• Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin

• CASA of Dane County, Inc

• Dane County Humane Society

• Domestic Abuse Intervention Services

• East Madison Community Center

• Literacy Network

• Lussier Community Education Center

• Madison Apprenticeship Program

• Madison Area Technical College

• Madison-Area Urban Ministry

• Omega School

• Operation Fresh Start

• Rainbow Project

• Urban League of Greater Madison

• Vera Court Neighborhood Center

• Worker Center

• Y.W.C.A. of Madison

• Youth Services of Southern Wisconsin

 

Community Partners

• Allied Stakeholders Partnership

• Community Coordinated Response for Domestic Violence

• Dane County Criminal Justice Taskforce

• Dane County Youth Gang Taskforce

• Human Services Partnership Group

• Joining Forces for Families

• Weed & Seed

• W-Z Steering Committee

• Workforce Development Board

• UW-Madison Law School

• Oregon School District

• Middleton Cross Plains School District

• MMSD

What We’ll Accomplish

• Provide shelter, crisis support, education and ongoing case management so that women and children are safe from violence

• Continue providing group and individual support for children of violent homes

• Provide adolescent boys with prevention and early intervention services

• Engage the community in a conversation on the issue surrounding criminal re-entry/recidivism

Past Success

• Increased effectiveness of community’s response to domestic violence by increasing access to shelters and other immediate response services, especially for the Latino population

• Intervention with 422 adults and teen boys to break the cycle of abuse by teaching nonviolent alternatives, supporting counseling services for children from violent homes and providing treatment for abusers to prevent re-offending

• Reduce factors that contribute to abuse by successfully reintegrating incarcerated adolescents and adults in the community

• Improved job options through education and skill training for 810 people

 

What’s Being Said

View Archived Coverage by Years

April 26, 2010	Delegation to Improve Behavioral Health sheds light on the connection between mental illness and homelessness
	The chronic issues of mental illness and homelessness are being evaluated by United Way’s Delegation to Improve Behavioral Health. Understanding the connection between the two is helping to achieve the most effective approach in solving the problems.

What You Can Do

Contact the staff of United Way’s Safe Communities Strong Neighborhoods Community Solution Team.

Staff:

• Angela Jones

• Director, Community Impact

• angelajones@uwdc.org

• (608) 246-4376

Chair:

• Deidre Morgan

• Oakhill Correctional Facility

Vice Chair:

• Mary Ann Sumi

• Wisconsin Supreme Court

Volunteer. Call the United Way Volunteer Center at (608) 246-4380 or visit volunteeryourtime.org to search for area volunteer opportunities.

Donate now to United Way of Dane County.

More Information

A CARING COMMUNITY

Madison Measures

Benchmarking system uses City data to illustrate trends in a variety of areas, from “Citywide Vital Signs” to water quality complaints to library usage. Incorporates benchmarks and public feedback to keep City services focused on results.

Source: City of Madison

Published: October 2008

Transportation Statistics

Provides links to a wide variety of reports available through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Includes traffic crash, alcohol crash facts, etc.

Source: WI Department of Transportation

Published: Annually

CRIME AND SAFETY

Crime and Arrest Data

State Office of Justice Assistance provides links to annual state and local data on crime and arrests, adult jail populations, drug arrests, and sexual assaults in Wisconsin.

Source: WI Office of Justice Assistance

Published: Annually

The Annual Juvenile Court Report

Annually the Juvenile Court Program provides a report relating to juveniles who are referred to and/or placed in the various Juvenile Court programs. In addition, the Annual Report includes information related to the number and types of offenses referred to the court.

Source: Dane County Juvenile Court

Published: Annually/2008

Dane County Enhanced Youth Gang Prevention Task Force Final Report

Data and recommendations for comprehensive, viable prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies to reduce youth gang activity.

Source: Dane County Department of Human Services, City of Madison

Published: September 2007

 

Dane County Youth Gang Prevention Task Force Proposed Community Response Plan

Discusses the emergence and prevalence of gangs in Dane County, demographics of juvenile offenders, community efforts to date, and solutions

Source: Dane County Department of Human Services

Published: 2005

Report of the Dane County Truancy Committee

Addresses factors contributing to truancy and recommends prevention, early intervention, and intervention strategies.

Source: Dane County Department of Human Services

Published: 2001

OFFENDERS

Coming Home – Overcoming Barriers to Success

Report on the first year of The Journey Home pilot to reduce recidivism by connecting ex-offenders with community resources. Promising practices show promising results.

Source: United Way of Dane County

Published: September 2008

From Prisoner to Neighbor: Stopping the revolving door of prisons

Overview of data, barriers and issues associated with the reintegration of prisoners returning to communities. Includes best practices and service models.

Source: United Way of Dane County

Published: March 2007

Dane County Juvenile Justice Disproportionate Minority Contact Solutions Workgroup Report 2009

Report and recommendations of a Dane County workgroup that looked at the extent to which minority groups are detained or confined in secure detention facilities, secure correctional facilities, jails, or lockups at a rate that exceeds their proportion in the general population.

Source: Dane County Department of Human Services

Published: May 2009

EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Dane County Workforce Profile 2008

Profiles Dane County’s current and projected population dynamics and the effect on the local labor force, industries and prominent employers, occupational patterns within industries, the labor force, unemployment, jobs, wages, total personal income, and per capital personal income.

Source: WI Department of Workforce Development

Published: Annually

The State of Working Wisconsin 2008

While this is a Wisconsin report, the report highlights specific employment issues that are of great interest to Dane County. Last page of the report pulls apart the statistics by county. Executive Summary available.

Source: Center on WI Strategy

Published: 2008

When Work Doesn’t Pay

Explores the hidden costs of low-wage jobs in Wisconsin, showing the impact of these jobs on the state and privately-offered benefits. Includes data by industry as well as demographics. Presents an overview of 5 public support programs and their costs to the Wisconsin taxpayers.

Source: Center on WI Strategy

Published: December 2006

Workforce and Labor Statistics

Workforce and labor statistics. Some availably at County level.

Source: WI Department of Workforce Development

Published: Ongoing

Wisconsin Works (W-2) Caseload Data

Data is available on participant placements, placement types, recipients, and unduplicated participants from this State web site.

Source: WI Department of Workforce Development

Published: Ongoing

Seeds of Workforce Change

Report shows commonalities of this area as a regional economic entity, data for Dane County and surrounding counties showing how much each contributes to this economic area. Executive Summary available.

Source: Center on WI Strategy

Published: July 2006

BEST PRACTICES

What Works Clearinghouse

Centralized source of scientific evidence for what works in education. Includes research on interventions to address adolescent literacy and dropout prevention.

Source: U.S. Department of Education

OTHER INFORMATION

Related information can be found under the Academic Achievement section of this website.

Housing

there is a decrease in homelessness and more affordable housing is available.

Why it Matters

• It’s difficult to get and keep a job without a home.

• Homeless children are more subject to health problems.

• The homeless tend to lose their connection with family and friends, resulting in a weaker support system.

• Homeless children are absent from school more often, have behavior problems and have more barriers to learning to read.

• Data show that supporting the homeless costs more than providing housing.

• Behavior problems disrupt entire classrooms.

• Absenteeism affects reading skills.

 

Dane County Facts

• It annually costs $9,700,000 to provide 297 shelter beds and services through nine shelter programs.

• Only 41 percent of the County’s affordable housing need is met, leaving 12,800 units still needed.

 

Vision

The Basic Needs Community Solution Team envisions a Dane County community where all people are aware of and can access resources to meet their daily basic needs with dignity.

 

Reports

Download Three Strategies for Reducing Homelessness in our Community PDF (112 KB)

 

Download Eliminating Hunger PDF (36 KB)

 

Download Reducing Homelessness Mobilization Plan PDF (150 KB)

 

Visit www.housingfirstdanecounty.org

What We’re Doing 

By mobilizing and uniting our community, we are actively reducing and eliminating homelessness.

By expanding eviction prevention strategies and provide direct access to stable housing for families facing homelessness, we will reduce our reliance on shelter as the first line of defense for these families. Our strategies will focus on landlord/tenant connections and financial counseling, case management, access to food and Housing First. The leading indicator of Dane County school age children in shelter will decrease from 109 to 54 by 2015.

 

1. Landlord/tenant Connections and Financial Counseling
   We are helping people avoid eviction through early identification of problems and financial education at the newly established Financial Education Center. We’re building bridges between tenants and property managers that will help decrease avoidable loss of housing.
2. Case Management
   We’re improving the quality and capacity of case management in Dane County to give homeless families and those at risk of becoming homeless the support and opportunities they need to remain in stable housing.
3. Improved Surplus Food Supply
   We’re working with surplus food distributors to eliminate the tough choice families make between putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads. Between 2004 and 2005, surplus food availability increased by 21 percent, freeing up families’ resources for utilities and rent.
4. Housing First
   Research shows that when chronically homeless families have “housing first,” they are better able to manage other issues in their lives. We will implement this new model of support to dramatically increase their chances of achieving stability.

Together with the Homeless Services Consortium, City of Madison and Dane County, we have created a Housing for All plan that incorporates these four strategies and defines a ten-year plan of action to reduce and eliminate homelessness as a community.

Housing in Action Leadership Team Partners

 

• Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin

 

• City of Madison Community nblDevelopment Block Grant

 

• City of Stoughton Mayor

 

• Dane County Executive Office

 

• Forward Community Investments

 

• Gorman & Company, Inc.

 

• Home Savings Bank

 

• Madison Metropolitan School District

 

• Meridian Group, Inc.

 

• Stark Company Realtors

 

• Tenant Resource Center

 

• US Bank

Program Partners

 

• Catholic Charities

 

• Centro Hispano of Dane County

 

• Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Inc.

 

• Habitat for Humanity

 

• The Road Home

 

• Madison-area Urban Ministry

 

• Middleton Outreach Ministry

 

• Movin’ Out, Inc.

 

• Porchlight, Inc.

 

• Salvation Army of Dane County

 

• Stoughton Area Resource Team

 

• Urban League of Greater Madison

 

• YWCA – Madison

 

• Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development

Community Partners

 

• City of Madison Community Development Block Grant

 

• Dane County Community Development Block Grant

 

• Dane County Extension

 

• Dane County Food Pantry Network

 

• Dane County Housing Authority

 

• Dane County Department of Human Services

 

• Financial Education Center

 

• Homeless Consortium

 

• Hunger Prevention Council of Dane County, Inc.

 

• Madison Community Foundation

 

• University of Wisconsin Credit Union

 

• University of Wisconsin Chancellor’s office

 

• University of Wisconsin, Department of Human Ecology