Everything you wanted to know about processing youth in the adult court system

Check this out - The UCLA School of Law recently released a review of the literature related to the Impact of Prosecuting Youth in the Adult Criminal Justice System. Perhaps no surprise, but after reviewing all the studies related to this issue, their summary includes a statement that “As the overwhelming majority of research studies show, the adult criminal justice system is ill-equipped to meet the needs of youth offenders at all stages of the process, from trial to sentencing options to incarceration. The findings of this literature review indicate that justice is not served by forcing juveniles through a system never intended to process youth and that transfer laws have exacerbated the problems they sought to address”. The review covers such issues as which youth end up being prosecuted as adults, what is the impact of transfer on reoffending rates, comparisons of conviction rates, mental health concerns, and racial disparities. The full document (over 130 pages, so don’t hit “print” too soon!) also contains copies of an earlier 1995 literature review, the report from the Centers for Disease Control, and a 2008 OJJDP bulletin. While there may be individual cases in which sending a youth to the adult court system is necessary, the research clearly supports a presumption that both community safety and youth are better served in the juvenile system for the vast majority of youth.

Significant Unemployment Benefits Victory, but What Comes Next?

Thousands of Wisconsin families will sleep a little better after the Senate finally managed to approve a bill last night to extend unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for the long-term unemployed. The House approved the bill this afternoon and sent it to the President for his signature. Although passage of the bill is a huge relief for those families and will pump millions of dollars into communities across the state, the bill is also noteworthy for what it doesn’t include.

To read more about what the bill does and doesn't do, see the Budget Project's July 22 blog post.

Examining Potential Risks to Medicaid from the Supreme Court Ruling

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state must pay back the $200 million (plus interest) transferred from the medical malpractice fund to help balance the 2007-09 budget. A July 20th Wisconsin Budget Project blog post explains that cutting that amount of state funding out of Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus would also require cutting roughly $375 million this year in federal matching funds. 

At this point there are no painless solutions for rebalancing the state budget, but during a deep recession the state should exhaust all other options before weakening programs that provide such a vital lifeline for struggling families, the elderly and people with disabilities. And in times like these, policymakers should strive to avoid cutting spending that puts so much federal matching funding into circulation in the Wisconsin economy.

Read more.

Wisconsin Budget Project Analyzes New Tax and Spending Data

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau released last week show that Wisconsin was below average in per capita state and local taxes and spending in fiscal year 2008. The Wisconsin Budget Project’s analysis of the data reveals that the average Wisconsinite paid $40 less in state and local taxes than the average for the nation as a whole in fiscal year 2008. Our state ranked 17th in per capita taxes (with #1 being the highest), compared to 8th in 2000.  For more information, see the Wisconsin Budget Project blog.

Property Tax Breaks Meant for Farmers Also Help Developers, Report Shows

The Legislative Audit Bureau released a report yesterday that determined that some developers are benefitting from tax policy meant to protect farmland and reduce urban sprawl. Tune in to the Wisconsin Budget Project blog to read more about the report.

Wisconsin Budget Project Blog Highlights DPI Release of General Aid Estimates

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has released its estimates for general aid to school districts for the upcoming school year.  Read more about this topic at the Wisconsin Budget Project blog, which analyzes the estimates by district and compares aid estimates for the 2010-11 school year to the previous year.

Sales Tax on Online Purchases

Bricks-and-mortar retailers in Wisconsin face a different sales tax system than online retailers.  Why is this, and what should we do about it?  Check out today's post at the Wisconsin Budget Project's blog to learn more.

“Punishing the Jobless” and Other Perspectives on the Stalled Efforts to Extend Recovery Act Provisions

The new Wisconsin Budget Project blog provides an update on the climbing number of people who have lost their unemployment insurance (UI) benefit since the beginning of June. It also examines the improving prospects for ending the Republican filibuster of a bill to restore the UI benefits, and the diminishing chances of passing legislation to provide fiscal relief to states by extending the increase in federal cost sharing for Medicaid financing and continuing the TANF Emergency Fund.

The blog post links to a July 5 Paul Krugman column, Punishing the Jobless, which skewers the arguments against restoring the extended UI benefits. Click here to see the Budget Project Blog post.

House Amendment would mean $180 million for teachers and law enforcement in Wisconsin

Before adjourning late Thursday, the House took up the “war supplemental” bill approved by the Senate in May, which would appropriate $58.8 billion for war spending and disaster relief. The House voted to add $21 billion for domestic priorities, including $10 billion to states to help reduce the number of teachers and law enforcement personnel who will be laid off as a result of the ongoing fiscal crisis.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has completed a preliminary analysis of the $10 billion provision. They estimate that the Wisconsin share of the funding for teachers and law enforcement would be $180 million.  Unfortuantely, finding sufficient Senate votes for the House amendment will be very difficult.

To read more, see the post on our new Wiscosnin Budget Blog.