A Milwaukee mother is urging state lawmakers to address her concerns about the juvenile justice system in Wisconsin.
“Our state needs to wake up,” Dorothy Hacket said. “We need to change something.”
Hacket’s son was killed by a 14-year-old fleeing Milwaukee police in a stolen car after committing an armed robbery.
TMJ4 Just nine months after the teen was sentenced in juvenile court, Hacket received a letter from the Department of Corrections saying the teen was scheduled to be released back into the community this week. TMJ4 is not naming the teen because he wasn’t charged as an adult.
Hacket wants lawmakers to make sure other victims or their families don’t have to feel her pain.
Lighthouse journalist Ben Jordan took Hacket’s concerns to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
A Democrat and a Republican lawmaker tell TMJ4 they think state law needs to be changed after learning about this situation. They believe the Department of Corrections shouldn’t have the only say as to when a juvenile convicted of serious crimes is released back into the community.