The Transformational Justice Task Force

Since 2004, this task force is the one that kept JOSHUA on the map and continued the steady justice work including helping to establish treatment courts in Brown County; holding dozens of prayer circles in response to community violence; the Ban the Box campaign; successfully opposing the Department of Corrections proposed single vendor for WI prison system along with other justice reform organizations; hosting educational events of the conditions of incarceration through the Solitary Confinement Experience and Prison Doula Project with FREE; and consistent efforts to address mass incarceration and conditions in jails and prisons through the Close Green Bay Correctional Institution (GBCI) Campaign.

Beginning in November 2023, weekly “End the Lockdowns Prayer Vigils,” took root, bringing together bipartisan leaders, community members, and impacted persons. The result was agreement on prioritizing the safety of both inmates and workers, and closure of GBCI. The lockdowns began in June of 2023 for GBCI and March of 2023 for Waupun due to massive overcrowding and the inability of staff to manage the influx of those incarcerated which forces them into their cells 23 hours a day. Since the winter of 2023, JOSHUA rallied together to begin voicing our concerns about the lockdown situation that was preventing much needed care for those incarcerated such as medication, exercise, visits, phone calls, hygiene needs, and other healthcare needs. 

In March of 2024, JOSHUA organized a panel at St. Norbert’s College to End the Lockdowns and Close GBCI where elected officials, JOSHUA and WISDOM staff, and impacted folks discussed the atrocities. This brought together at least 75 people in one space.

Working in tandem with the Spiritual Leaders, this group has consistently been a presence in front of GBCI for all of this year on the 23rd of each month. 23 signifies the 23 hours a day and 23 days on average that a person must sit in solitary, but often times longer. JOSHUA continues to show up and be a presence outside of GBCI. Because of our recent coverage in the news, several incarcerated individuals and their loved ones have reached out to JOSHUA. To address this, the task force is looking into a correspondence subgroup that could feature a newsletter of information.