SJC Exchange Library

Nearly two decades ago, the Milwaukee Community Justice Council (CJC) was established to promote better coordination and collaboration among the various county, state, and municipal public agencies that comprise the community justice system in Milwaukee County. Since 2007, it has worked to remove communications barriers between law enforcement agencies, circuit courts, correctional institutions, and administrative bodies and create a more cohesive overall system. The word “community” was included in its title in recognition that the public should be integrated in its work.

Among the accomplishments touted by CJC leaders – who include not only law enforcement and judicial leaders, but also the Milwaukee mayor and county executive – are a decline in the county’s corrections population, enhanced services for individuals reentering society from a correctional institution, and greater cooperation to address the needs of those who come into contact with the justice system while suffering from mental health challenges or substance use disorders.

Today, the CJC is in a period of transformation. In 2024, it conducted its first strategic planning effort in a decade and established new priorities in areas like housing and mental health. The institution also saw its executive director position change hands and key founding members retire, including former District Attorney John Chisholm and Tom Reed, its vice chair and former Regional Manager of the Milwaukee branch of the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office. These circumstances – as well as a need to grapple with a funding model that relies heavily on grants – make this an ideal time to reflect on the structure of the CJC and possible opportunities for improvement.

In this report, supported by the Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC) and the Milwaukee-based Argosy Foundation, we evaluate the Milwaukee CJC against a set of national standards developed by criminal justice coordinating council (CJCC) leaders from around the nation. Our analysis is informed not only by national best practices, but also by a survey of CJC Executive Committee members, interviews with current and past Milwaukee CJC leadership and staff, and three case studies of CJCCs from other parts of the country with structural elements that differ from Milwaukee’s CJC.

While the CJC continues to be a principal example of intergovernmental cooperation in Milwaukee County, it also faces new challenges and lingering questions about whether it could be more data-driven and effective. This report is intended to help answer those questions and provide constructive insights to CJC stakeholders as they implement their new strategic plan and chart a future course.