Marathon County’s administrator says the new sheriff can help heal the embattled jail system. A citizens’ panel–convened after a March attack on corrections officers–announced a number of issues dating back several years. Administrator Brad Karger says he and Sheriff Scott Parks both agree it’s vital to reduce recidivism of inmates.
“Our correctional system is really confounded by people who keep reentering,” says Karger. “And somewhere along the line we have to have an intervention, otherwise what happens is, we see the next generation.”
He says when it comes to people who frequently end up in jail, several statistics and studies point to one common denominator, abuse of drugs and alcohol.
Karger says when it comes to the issue of alcohol and drugs it will take a cultural change over a long time with a consistent message and a lot of community participation.