Wisconsin sheriff says those in jail will be called 'residents,' not 'inmates,' out of respect for humanity
A Wisconsin jail will no longer call people held there "inmates" out of respect.
The Dane County Jail will call anyone incarcerated there a "resident" to "humanize and respect" them.
"This proactive approach to our criminal justice reform is going to allow us to move towards a 21st-century policing mindset in which we treat everyone within our community with dignity, respect, and humanity," said Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett on Monday.
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The sheriff said his department wants to maintain dignity and respect for all involved in the criminal justice system and that officers prefer to refer to themselves as "peace officers" instead of law enforcement officers.
"The title we go by and how we view ourselves matters how we carry out the duties of our position," Barrett said. "When I mean peace officer, I mean that is exactly what my goal, my philosophy and my vision, is, we are there to keep the peace."
Barrett said other police forces have looked to his department's shifts as a model.
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"As your sheriff, I believe our philosophies, policies, and practices should be proactive and not reactionary like many other areas of our criminal justice system," Barrett said. "The Dane County Sheriff's Office is a national leader in appropriate progressive reform, and many follow our lead."
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Tags: Wisconsin, News, Police, Prison, Reform
Original Author: Luke Gentile
Original Location: Wisconsin sheriff says those in jail will be called 'residents,' not 'inmates,' out of respect for humanity
