Apology not accepted. What Kenosha County Sheriff Dave Beth described as an apology for some of the controversial remarks he made last week about warehousing a certain class of criminals…doesn’t go far enough for members of CUSH---Congregations United to Serve Humanity.
The Rev. Erik Carlson, who chairs CUSH’s religious leaders’ caucus, fronted a news conference in the lobby of the Public Safety Building Wednesday. "Though we were initially pleased with Sheriff Beth's decision to issue an apology, we found the contents of that apology to be lacking in both sincerity and substance," he said.
Carlson said he’d like Beth to participate in a community forum to further explore some of the ideas he advanced last week. Specifically, the notion that some criminals should be made to simply disappear. "We as clergy are united in the affirmation that every life is worth saving and that every person no matter how troubled or felonious is deserving of dignity," Carlson said.
Beth’s controversial comments came in the wake of a shoplifting incident that ended with a chase and a crash that resulted in minor injuries to a woman and her son.
On Monday, Beth said he had let his emotions get the better of him. But Carlson said the so-called apology didn’t specifically walk back any of the controversial remarks.
The notion that stiffer penalties or simply locking up convicts for life will reduce crime is wrong-headed, Carlson said. "The warehousing of people convicted of crime--especially people of color and the poor-- has not worked and is not the solution," he said.
He noted that the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the word, and that Wisconsin jails more African-Americans on a per capita basis than any state in the country.
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