Defending Solitary Confinement For Youth, Millennials Found To Be Riskiest Drivers, President Trump’s Proposal To Increase Military Spending

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Wisconsin’s Department of Corrections Secretary recently told lawmakers that solitary confinement in youth prisons is a necessary practice, although the Department is working to limit its use. He joins us to discuss his position, and what the negative consequences of solitary confinement might be. A new study shows that riskiest drivers on the road are young Millennials. A transportation expert breaks down the results with us. We also talk to a military and defense expert about President Donald Trump’s proposal to increase military spending the $54 billion.

Featured in this Show

  • Defending Solitary Confinement At Youth Prisons In Wisconsin

    During a legislative committee hearing on Tuesday, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Jon Litscher told legislators that solitary confinement is necessary in youth prisons, although his department is trying to minimize the practice. We talk to the secretary about how solitary confinement can be a tool for correctional officers, and what the negative consequences of the practice might be.

  • Young Millennials Are Riskiest Drivers On The Road, Says AAA

    When it comes to determining the riskiest drivers on the road, many of us are eager to point the finger at inexperienced teenage drivers. But a new AAA study finds that perhaps we should be more worried about millennials behind the wheel. A guest from AAA Wisconsin breaks down the findings from the report.

  • Millennials Engage In Some Of The Riskiest Driving Behaviors

    When we think about bad drivers on the road, the first target of our collective ire is teenagers. But according to a report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers may want to be more wary of millennials cruising the roadways.

    The survey of more than 2,500 drivers from all age groups found 88 percent of young millennials — those drivers between the ages of 19 and 24 — engaged in at least one risky driving behavior in 30 days. Those behaviors included texting and driving, using drugs or alcohol before getting behind the wheel, or running red lights.

    A drop in attendance in driver’s education courses could be part of the problem, said Nick Jarmusz, director of public affairs for AAA Wisconsin.

    “(Teenagers) either simply couldn’t afford to take driver’s ed or didn’t see the need to get their driver’s license during their teen years,” Jarmusz said. “So they simply waited and once they turned 18, they were able to go to DMV and just get their license taking a formal drivers training class or without going through the graduated driver’s license system.”

    In order to get a driver’s license, drivers still have to pass a written test and skills test at the state Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles. But, Jarmusz said we’re starting to see more serious examples of this lack of training on the roadways.

    “This age group is the most likely to be involved crashes,” he said. “Most likely to be injured. And, unfortunately, most likely to be killed on the roads here in Wisconsin, according to our crash data.”

    So, how do other age groups rank? According to the study released in February, the second worst offenders are actually older millennials — drivers between the ages of 25 and 39. Seventy-nine percent of respondents in that age group admitted to engaging in risky driving behaviors.

    And teenagers, who are often blamed for poor driving decisions, actually practice safer driving habits than those drivers in the 40-59 age category, according to the AAA survey. And Jarmusz thinks that that could have a lot to do with early warnings about the dangers of distracted driving.

    “Today’s teenagers are constantly hearing from the very beginning — even before they start driver’s ed — about how dangerous it is to use their phones behind the wheel, similar to how dangerous it is to drink and drive,” Jarmusz said.

  • President Donald Trump's Proposal To Increase Military Spending By $54 Billion

    On Monday President Donald Trump announced that he plans to cut spending on many federal government programs–and shift billions more in funding to the armed forces. We talk to a military and defense expert about this news and how it could affect national security.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Chris Malina Producer
  • Jon Litscher Guest
  • Nicholas Jarmusz Guest
  • Kevin Baron Guest

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