Heroin addiction plagues Milwaukee and the nation. Understanding the cause requires understanding the victims.
Task force leads community response to trafficking
The Human Trafficking Task Force of Greater Milwaukee educates people about the problem plaguing the community and searches for solutions.
A crime hidden in plain sight: human trafficking in Milwaukee
The commercial sex trade industry works like any other market, with supply and demand. Experts say that a stronger emphasis on deterring people from purchasing sex in Milwaukee would address a root cause of the problem.
Special Report: Vicious cycle of payday loans poses hazard for low-income borrowers
While financial experts warn against the dangers of payday lending, cash-strapped Milwaukeeans take out payday loans because they have no other choice.
Defendants who can’t afford attorneys pay a steep price
Most defendants in Municipal Court don’t have a lawyer because they say legal representation is too expensive. Those who are represented by counsel fare much better. Between 2011 and 2014, only 8 percent of cases without an attorney were dismissed, while 57 percent involving an attorney were successfully defended.
Special Report: Residents of poor neighborhoods see more than their share of costly municipal citations
The Milwaukee Police Department writes a disproportionate number of citations in the poorest areas of the city, where many residents do not have the means to ever pay their fines.
Special Report: MPS, partners pool resources to change outlook at Carver Academy
With the combined resources of MPS, Teach for America, Schools That Can and City Year, an MPS K-8 school that was nearly closed in 2011 is working to improve student achievement, grow attendance and reduce suspensions.
Special Report: Food-based charities strive to provide healthier, higher-quality options
Despite easier access to inexpensive processed foods, Hunger Task Force and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin are increasing the amount of fresh produce rescued from retailers and sourcing directly from area farms.
Special Report: Federal cuts cause increased reliance on charitable food programs
Cuts to federal aid programs coupled with high poverty rates are putting pressure on Milwaukee’s network of food banks, food pantries and hot meal programs.
Poverty in Milwaukee: a year of coverage
A yearlong series of articles addressed how programs created by the “war on poverty” are playing out in Milwaukee half a century later. It also put a face on poverty through the stories of people who struggle every day just to get by.