MADISON, Wis. - The Kyle Rittenhouse verdict continues to evoke a range of emotions from the public. A University of Wisconsin expert says the outcome could have lasting effects on marginalized residents who already feel pushed away by social institutions.

Rittenhouse, a white teen, was acquitted of murder charges for shooting several protesters during last year's police brutality demonstrations in Kenosha.

Alvin Thomas, an assistant professor in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said it only adds to the list of previous high-profile cases tied to debates over racial injustice.

For anyone who's experienced racial bias, Thomas said it could further cement negative reactions.

"Every time a new incident comes up," said Thomas, "what it does is that it can produce some of these Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms like re-experiencing, hypervigilance, avoidance, flashbacks and memories, intense sadness, and fear and anger."

Thomas noted a body of research links discrimination to worsening mental and physical health. He said even though some people who are Black feel resigned to an unfair criminal justice system, each event still has a tremendous personal impact on them.

Supporters of Rittenhouse argue the case boiled down to self-defense, adding that those who died were white.

But Thomas said it's important to remember the protesters who were shot were there in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. And he explained a perceived injustice against anyone, no matter their race, can add to the pain already felt by so many.

"I think it's very similar to what we saw during the Civil Rights movement," said Thomas, "where you had people of different colors, ethnicities who were engaged in that fight. And they bled together."

As for long-term effects, Thomas said there's danger that people experiencing negative reactions could feel less compelled to take part in certain facets of mainstream society.

"Like elections and voting," said Thomas, "engaging in different things that make society move."

While there are many documented cases of police violence toward Black males, Thomas noted Black girls and women can be victims too. He said the pain from these events can be equally shared.

"I think Black men could be hit with the understanding that 'this victim looks like me,'" said Thomas. "But I think Black women also are hit just as hard, because when they look, they see a brother, they see a father, they see a son."

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to support returning citizens started with Kelly Lang's own fight for justice. Her loved one was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole at age 15 in 1994. And after years of advocacy, Lang came face-to-face with the gaps in Alabama's criminal justice system. Determined to make a difference, she co-founded On the Way Home, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people rebuild their lives.

"My loved one's juvenile sentenced, so he has no family, he has no one. I have another couple guys that I know that are incarcerated that have no one, they have no family. They have no one to go home to, they have no one to help them - they have nothing, but they've been in for a long time," Lang said.

Lang added her journey to reduce her loved one's sentence has been fraught with challenges, largely due to Alabama's rigid parole system. Through this struggle, she realized that many people reenter society with no support system and very few resources. On the Way Home was created to help fill that void.

Lang explained the organization plans to offer more than a roof over a person's head after they're released. It will provide psychological support, life skills training and crucial resources to help them transition back into society with dignity and independence.

"Most reentry centers house people, multiple individuals to a room. So, we plan to have their own space - so everybody will have their own room. No one will be in the shared space. We plan to offer counseling services, education services, training services - even basic training services, like cooking, driving, how to fill out applications," Lang continued.

She aid so far with the help of her co-founder, the group has been able to provide welcome-home packages with essentials like toiletries and clothing, easing the financial burden of those starting over. Lang's long-term vision is to build a 'tiny home' village for people who've served their time.

Tennessee's justice system may be getting a makeover, as a forum on Thursday will cover new ideas to modernize it.

The Sycamore Institute event will focus on using data-driven approaches, increased funding and policy changes.

Brian Straessle, executive director of the institute, said they want to provide clarity for people to learn about criminal justice policy in Tennessee. One session, with representatives from the District Attorney General Conference and Administrative Office of the Courts, will discuss criminal justice data reporting in the state.

"Last session in the Legislature, there were a couple of laws passed that required each of those entities to develop some unified case reporting and data reporting tools," Straessle explained. "Because right now, it's hard to get a real good sense of what is happening in the court system across the state of Tennessee."

More than 44,000 people were in state prisons and local jails across Tennessee in 2023. Straessle added the goal of the forum is to provide insights into the approaches groups are taking to implement their plans and identify areas for improvement.

Straessle added the second session will focus on paying for incarceration. He noted during the pandemic, the state saw an increase in crime, which in turn created concern about the capacity of Tennessee prisons.

"The winds have shifted a little bit to more of a 'tough on crime' focus at the state level, and that means, you know, more people behind bars for longer," Straessle pointed out. "There's questions about, what does that mean for Tennessee's jail and prison capacity? And whatever we end up doing, we need to know what that will be and what it's going to cost if we need more capacity."

While pre-pandemic interest in reform was high, rising crime has led to stricter laws. The final session will be a conversation with state lawmakers about public safety and criminal justice policy.


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Researchers have found that higher copays for health care obstruct access to receiving care behind bars, even as prison populations in Mississippi and nationwide face increasing rates of physical and mental health conditions.

One in 10 people with at least one chronic condition in state and federal prisons had not been seen by a clinician since they were incarcerated.

Wanda Bertram, communication strategist for the Prison Policy Initiative, said the copays are often less than $7 but they represent massive barriers to health care.

"If you want to be seen, you have to pay, typically anywhere from $2 to $5, or in the case of Mississippi prisons, $6,," Bertram outlined. "and if you can't pay that, either you can't see the doctor or that becomes a debt that you have to the prison."

The research found medical copays in prisons significantly impede health care access for more than 500,000 people with chronic conditions, from heart or kidney disease, to asthma and hepatitis C.

People in Mississippi prisons are not compensated for the jobs they may have while they are incarcerated, so Bertram pointed out it is up to their families to cover any medical costs. She added some states have dropped their copays for people behind bars. Her group thinks Mississippi should do the same.

"We have been advocating for years for states to abolish these copays," Bertram explained. "And some states are doing this, Nevada, I believe, abolished prison copays, either this year or last year. California has also abolished copays. To force people to pay to see a doctor, you know, causes people to not see doctors when they actually need help."

Bertram added the research revealed alarming gaps in mental health care access for incarcerated individuals. More than one-third of those with diagnosed chronic mental illnesses have not seen any mental health clinicians since entering prison.


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