BA, 2004, Sociology, University of Wisconsin
MA, 2019, Criminal Justice, American Public University
Kalvin believes his Sociology education allows him to analyze and understand how human conduct, behavior and consciousness is formed by our surrounding cultural and social structures. As the Dane County Sheriff, he leads an organization that continues to study social lives, social causes and consequences of human behavior. Through his studies, he continues to inform and motivate the Dane County criminal justice system to find solutions to the root causes of crime and deviant behavior, and evolve away from its current form of a reactionary, consequence-based system that relies on incarceration as its primary solution.
Sheriff Kalvin D. Barrett was appointed as the 53rd Sheriff of Dane County in 2021. In 2022, Sheriff Barrett was elected as the first African American sheriff of Dane County. He has served as a Dane County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, a Sun Prairie Police Officer, a Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Officer and now as sheriff. His core values of leadership are Character, Competence, Compassion, Courage and Communication. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to building relationships and solving problems through evidence-based decision-making and procedural justice.
Sheriff Barrett serves on the Board of Directors for Tellurian Behavioral Health. He is also an active member with the following local and national organizations; United Way’s Law Enforcement and Leaders of Color Collaboration, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime & Incarceration, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement, Dane County Community Justice Council, and the Dane County Gun Violence Reduction Initiative.
Sheriff Barrett continues to teach courses in the Madison College Criminal Justice Studies Program. He is married with two daughters.