Milwaukee County

WestCare Wisconsin, Inc.

5/1/2023-4/30/2024

Funds will be used by WestCare Wisconsin, Inc. (WC-WI) to conduct a program evaluation study on the programs that serve at-risk and justice involved youth. Group, individual and family mentoring activities, restorative justice healing peace circles, Forward Thinking, Transformational Change along with Social Capitol and Botvin Life Skills Training curriculum is provided weekly. The program goal is to improve outcomes (such as improved academic performance and reduced school dropout rates) for at-risk and system-involved youth, and reduce negative outcomes (including juvenile delinquency, substance use and gang participation) through face-to-face, teleconference and mobile mentoring platforms in the Milwaukee County community. The objective is to sustain and
serve as many at-risk youth as possible while tracking the types of support they may need in the future, reflecting on accomplishments, success stories, challenges and progress.

Your Move MKE, Inc.

4/1/2023-3/31/2024

Funds will be used by Your Move MKE Inc to facilitate restorative justice circles with youth and
families weekly. These circles will be based on specific topics such as: sexual molestation,
homicides, racial & ethnic disparities, and more. After discussing these topics for one hour, the
second hour will be used to create a 4-6 song self-titled project. This project will provide a space for
families with victims of gun violence, sex trafficking or risk of recidivism, a space to express their
feelings and use music to heal from trauma while promoting accountability, reflection, and family
interaction through intergenerational encounters. This project is split into two sessions with 32
weeks focusing on circles, songwriting and recording and 16 weeks focused on video production,
performances, and promotions. We plan to recruit youth from group homes, including LGBTQ
homes, the community, and alternative schools. The area this project will benefit is Milwaukee
County.

Wauwatosa School District

7/1/2022-6/30/2023

Funds will be used by Madison Elementary School in Wauwatosa, and additional collaborating staff in the district to strengthen, expand, and level up our fledgling restorative justice/practices action plan established in the 2020-2021 school year. We are asking for funds for training, coaching, consultants, and supplies to help us move from the stage of reading and theory to the stage of application and implementation. Our core focus will be on 4th and 5th grade (ages 10 and up) though we expect that this work will impact the entire school. Our request includes funds to invite some of the peer staff at the middle school where most of our students go for 6-8th grade to participate as they are able in trainings and as observers in coaching consultations.

Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) contracted with the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice to continue existing efforts and initiate new efforts surrounding the implementation of the 18 recommendations from the probation system review of Milwaukee County.  This collaboration improved the practices and policies within the youth justice System in Milwaukee County. 

Milwaukee County Circuit Court will expand and strengthen Milwaukee County's diversion and alternative response options for low and moderate-low risk youth referred for delinquency. Technical assistance is requested from the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice to implement steps outlined in their Alternative Response Workbook and to increase restorative justice resources and responses for diverted youth. In order to implement the full Alternative Response initiative process, Milwaukee County will be providing an overmatch of approximately $14,000 beyond the $25,000 requested here.