Visits resume at Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center
MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. - In-person visits at the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center resumed this past week after more than a decade.
It might be hard to imagine, a correctional facility creating the feeling of joy.
"I’ve been looking forward to this morning all week," said Lisa Tate, who is eager to get through security to see her husband, who is serving time in the county's Community Reintegration Center. "To be able to see my face in person. It means the world to him. It really does."
An in-person visitation.
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Separated by glass, Lisa Tate catches up with her husband Larry. This is the couple's second visit since the Milwaukee County facility started in-person visits again.
When asked what Lisa's visit meant to Larry, he said, "It means the world to see her. I miss her a whole lot."
Court records show Larry Tate is in the facility for a gun crime conviction. He wanted to share this message: "Well number 1. Don’t play with guns. That’s why I’m in here because I was playing with a gun and shot myself. I was lucky."
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Inside the Community Reintegration Center
"These men and women are going back into the community," said Kim Brooks. "And it is our job to help them be better when they go back into the community and not repeat a negative cycle."
On Sunday morning, Dec. 24, a handful of families visited their loved ones.
"Studies suggest that people who have a support network are less likely to repeat the activity and behavior that brought them here to begin with," added Brooks.
The face-to-face time was meaningful for Brenda Sanders and her boyfriend too.
"We’ve been together for four years. This is the first time we’ve been apart for this long," said Sanders.
The visits are 30 minutes. You can see its impact will likely last much longer.
"It’s just a really hard time during the holidays for us not to be together," added Lisa Tate.