Urban Men in Poverty

Sponsored by UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs, in partnership with Marquette University Law School

Urban Men in Poverty: Problems and Solutions

The situation of low wage/low income urban men has not been widely documented or discussed. What we know, or believe we know, is that they are predominantly racial minorities; their incarceration rate is high; they have low levels of education and skills; they face a worsened low-skill labor market; they are largely single; many are under court mandates for child support; many have child support arrears; many work largely off-the-books.

This half-day seminar will give an overview of the problem for the United States, Wisconsin and Milwaukee. Particular focus will be on incarceration, child support and labor markets, with next steps outlined by a national expert on demonstration projects that have produced measurable and replicable results.

8:00 am
Registration and continental breakfast

8:15 am
Welcome by Marquette University Law Dean Joseph Kearney and UW-Madison La Follette School Director Susan Yackee

8:30–9:15 am
Urban Men in Poverty: A National Overview
Professor Geoffrey Wallace, UW–Madison La Follette School

9:15–10 am
The Politics of Poverty in Wisconsin
Professor Charles Franklin, Marquette University Law School

10–10:15 am
Break with refreshments

10:15–10:45 am
Early Trauma and Employment: An Uneasy Relationship
Professor David Pate, UW–Milwaukee Department of Social Work

10:45–11:30 am
The Effects of Incarceration on Neighborhoods
Professor Mike Massoglia, UW–Madison Department of Sociology

11:30 am–12:30 pm
Can We Improve the Employment Prospects of Disadvantaged Men?
Professor Harry Holzer, Georgetown University