Report compares Milwaukee County juvenile justice numbers and offenses to pre-pandemic data

​By Heidi von Helms, WJI intern
 
Youth referrals in the juvenile justice system are back up to their pre-pandemic levels, and the severity of offenses, number of weapons offenses, and transfers to adult court increased significantly.
 
The data comes from the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s report in May on the state of youth justice in Milwaukee County. The report compared recent statistics with pre-pandemic data.
 
The report indicates that during the pandemic the number of youth referrals to the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services’ Children, Youth, and Family Services Department (CYFS) dropped significantly across every category. However, by 2024, referrals had returned to their pre-pandemic numbers.
 
The report shows a notable 50% increase between 2018 and 2024 in referrals for certain felonies, including armed robbery, terrorist threats, taking and driving a vehicle without consent, and first-degree recklessly endangering safety with a firearm. Felony weapons offenses more than tripled and misdemeanor weapons offenses grew by 73%.

Graph from the report showing the increase in severity of offenses. Source: "Youth Must Be Served: The Post-Pandemic State of Youth Justice in Milwaukee County," Wisconsin Policy Forum, May 2025.

​While this data suggests an increase in violent crimes committed by youth, victim and suspect data from fatal and nonfatal shootings in the City of Milwaukee show some recent progress in reducing shootings. Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission data show that from 2023 to 2024, the number of youths suspected of homicide or nonfatal shootings decreased by 51%, and the number of fatal and nonfatal shooting victims age 17 or younger decreased by 25%.
 
The report states that from 2018 to 2024, the majority of youth referred were ages 15 and 16 (61%). Boys made up 80% of referrals. Black youth made up 80% of referrals, Hispanic youth made up 11%, and white youth made up 7%.
 
The table below compares these percentages to Milwaukee County’s youth population demographics, highlighting how Black youth are overrepresented in the justice system.

Table comparing demographic and ethnic data between CYFS referrals and general population. Source: "Youth Must Be Served: The Post-Pandemic State of Youth Justice in Milwaukee County," Wisconsin Policy Forum, May 2025.

​An overwhelming proportion—78%—of referred youth had a mental health condition, an alcohol and other drug abuse condition, or both.

Infographic showing percentage of youth in CYFS with mental health and AODA addictions. Source: "Youth Must Be Served: The Post-Pandemic State of Youth Justice in Milwaukee County," Wisconsin Policy Forum, May 2025.

​From 2018 to 2023, significantly fewer youth were placed in detention facilities. However, more youth have been moved up to adult court, perhaps corresponding with the increase in referrals for violent offenses noted above.

The Vel Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center includes a short-term detention facility for youth pending court disposition when detention is deemed necessary. As shown in the chart below, the number of youths detained at the center was significantly higher in 2024 than pre-pandemic, and since 2021 the facility has faced significant capacity issues. Additionally, the average length of stay increased by more than 14 days from 2018 to 2024.

Graph showing population of youth at Vel Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center from 2018 to 2024. Source: "Youth Must Be Served: The Post-Pandemic State of Youth Justice in Milwaukee County," Wisconsin Policy Forum, May 2025.

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The Wisconsin Policy Forum also reviewed the Milwaukee County Accountability Program, created in 2012 as a longer-term detention alternative to Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, which have faced abuse allegations for years. MCAP is designed for youth considered high risk for reoffending and involves intensive supervision, structure, support, and skill building for up to 180 days before the youth transitions to at-home supervision and behavioral management.
 
The report indicates that MCAP has contributed to consistently fewer youth being sent from Milwaukee County to Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake.

However, MCAP has only 24 beds, and some youth spend up to 12 weeks in detention before they can begin the program. The county plans to replace the 24 beds at Vel Phillips currently used for MCAP with a new, 32-bed facility by 2026, with the hope that the new facility will fully replace the use of state youth detention facilities.

Chart comparing Milwaukee County youth detention in MCAP and Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake. Source: "Youth Must Be Served: The Post-pandemic State of Youth Justice in Milwaukee County," Wisconsin Policy Forum, May 2025.

  
CYFS in recent years has emphasized programs designed to keep youth from becoming involved in the justice system altogether. These include the Credible Messenger Program, created in 2021, which serves as a prevention influence for youth at risk of becoming involved or further involved in the justice system, and Advance Peace Fellowship, created in 2024, which pairs youth identified to be at high risk for gun violence with support for their development, health, and well-being. In 2023, 78% of youth in the Credible Messenger Program had no referral to CYFS or re-offense.
 
The report notes that the success of various CYFS programs is hard to determine, CYFS does not have a framework to track recidivism and does not follow any of its programs’ participants after they reach the age of 17.
 
The report states that without better data collection, the Wisconsin Policy Forum cannot determine whether the youth justice system is operating better and producing better outcomes than before the implementation of these programs.