Health and Wellbeing are Foundational for Successful Reentry
February 3, 2026
Health and Wellbeing are Foundational for Successful Reentry: Part II – Lived Experience
April 7, 2026Eviction Court Observers
2025 Summary Report
The Justified Anger Court Observers is a group of community volunteers who observe Dane County Circuit Court hearings to deepen their understanding of racial disparities in local economic and legal systems.
The Court Observers have watched nearly every eviction court hearing – over 11,000 – since April of 2023. Below is a summary of findings from their 2025 observations. Except where the visualizations include a monthly breakdown going back to April of 2023, the date range reflected is one year, from 1/1/2025 through 12/31/2025.e appreciate your time and attention and any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
2025 Key Themes
• The end of federal Covid relief funding reduced the number of hearings by almost 50% in the second half of the year.
• Over 47% of the hearings were for Black tenants, while Black people make up under 7% of the population of Dane County.
• The percentage of tenants who have legal representation in court dropped significantly since 2023. Representation peaked in October of 2023 at 40% and reached its lowest point in November of 2025 when only 6% of tenant had attorneys.
