DANE COUNTY, WI – A newly-elected “woke” Wisconsin Sheriff has announced that “inmates” at the Dane County Jail that he oversees will henceforth be known as the more sensitive terms of “residents” or “those who are in our care.”
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett stated at a press conference this week that he decided to make the change after meeting with former criminals who told him that being called “inmates” or “convicts” while in prison makes it difficult for them to reenter society due to the “stigma” involved with the terms.
“I view this change in name as a way to humanize those who are within our care,” Barrett said. “This proactive approach to our criminal justice reform is going to allow us to move toward a 21st-century policing mindset in which we treat everyone within our community with dignity, respect and humanity. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office is a national leader in appropriate progressive reform, and many follow our lead.”
Democratic Wisconsin state Rep. Sheila Stubbs also attended the press conference, and said that giving imprisoned criminals “a sense of belonging” was important.
“We need to give people back the wholeness they deserve,” she said. “Changing the name of inmate to resident gives them a sense of belonging.”
In addition, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office website, which used to describe the department as “the largest law enforcement organization in Dane County,” now says that it is “the largest peace officer agency in Dane County.”
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