The Public Safety Building is the facility where Milwaukee County delivers many of the services mandated by the state, such as criminal courts, the District Attorney office, public defenders, pre-trial services, and more. These services are expected to be housed in the new building.
A new building is also an opportunity to reimagine how the Courthouse Complex provides resources and programming to those impacted by the justice process. As Milwaukee County works with our community to catalog services and facility needs, judicial system leaders are committed to re-envisioning how the building’s design can complement and support Milwaukee County’s goal to provide justice services and programming with dignity and a human-centered approach for all involved.
A shared investment in a new building will deliver generational improvements to public safety and justice in Wisconsin:
- Secure corridors will reduce staffing needs for transports by 80% – freeing up nearly 2,100 hours for redeployment to public safety duties.
- Officers freed from courthouse duty will spend more time in the community – an efficient building means faster processing, fewer court delays, and more officers available where they’re needed most: in the community.
- Fewer delays and mistrials will lead to faster, safer, less costly proceedings – a modern facility will reduce security calls, prevent mistrials, and ensure faster and safer proceedings.
- Taxpayers across Wisconsin will benefit from long-term savings and a stronger justice system – a purpose-built facility will support night court, virtual court and specialty court operations, reducing backlog, increasing access and saving money.
Currently, state mandates cost Milwaukee County roughly $284.7 million per year. That’s nearly 80% of Milwaukee County’s local levy - and they’re growing at two times the rate of revenues. Separate from its peers, Milwaukee County is uniquely impacted by mandated services, including providing Highway Patrol services and operating the Community Reintegration Center - the only Wisconsin County required to provide / operate either service. Milwaukee County also operates the largest circuit court in Wisconsin on the State's behalf, processing 111,398 cases in 2024 (more than Brown, Dane and Waukesha counties combined) and, over the last decade, individuals from every Wisconsin county have been booked in Milwaukee County's jail.
The outdated Public Safety Building puts public safety and justice at risk, and the State has a unique opportunity to invest in a shared system that serves every Wisconsinite and improves public safety in our communities.
Building a new, modern, and efficient building to replace the Public Safety Building will not create additional arrests or increase incarceration, as there will be no additional jails or bed space in a new building.
Milwaukee County’s Courthouse Complex is severely outdated and, in some cases, functionally obsolete, presenting numerous challenges. A new building must happen. However, the necessary replacement and renovations within the Courthouse Complex present a unique opportunity to create facilities that are designed with a trauma-informed lens and a restorative, community focus. With intentional design, Milwaukee County strives to improve outcomes for all those who interact with the justice system by reducing future case backlogs, efficiently connecting individuals to necessary services, and providing a safe environment for all. Through these investments, Milwaukee County’s goal is to leverage this as an opportunity to create new facilities that foster greater dignity for those involved in the justice system.
Without a new building, Milwaukee County will continue to face safety risks, delays, rising costs and negative public safety impacts across the region. Safety and security issues tied to the building’s layout and structure will continue. Mistrials related to a lack of secured, separated corridors will continue. Backlogs of cases may increase. County deferred maintenance costs will continue to grow.
The current facilities do not meet standards required to fulfill state mandates, nor serve the community with dignity and efficiency. Removing the Public Safety Building and renovations throughout the Courthouse Complex is not a matter of if, but when. Project cost estimates range from $400 to $500 million and will rise $100 to $125 million every two years if we fail to act.
Milwaukee County remains in the early stages of planning for any facility construction or renovations, however, it is estimated that construction of a new building and the associated renovations necessary to bring the Historic Courthouse and existing Criminal Justice Facility Courthouse Complex in line with modern needs will require a $400-500M investment.
Milwaukee County is seeking funding partnerships with state and federal officials to ensure we can meet the justice needs of our community and provide state-mandated services.
A location has not yet been determined. Milwaukee County remains in the early stages of planning for any facility construction or renovation.
Any significant work on facilities will be a multi-year process; one that Milwaukee County will approach intentionally and with community input to ensure that facilities support the County’s efforts to advance better outcomes for our community.
Additional details about this effort will be shared in the months and years ahead.