Dr. Ronald Shansky, one of the most respected experts in the U.S. on prison health reform, and a pioneer in correctional healthcare, was my brother.
Throughout his life, Ronald was a passionate advocate for those less fortunate in our society. I remember him taking me through the Washington, D.C. jails, when he was the federal court-appointed receiver for those jails. I saw prisoners roaming the hallways or sitting on floors talking to themselves with no idea where they were or even who they were. He pointed out that most of them had severe mental illnesses that were never treated. While there, he was able to turn things around and get many of the prisoners the ongoing treatment they deserved.
Ron died on Sept. 16, 2024, in Austin, Texas.
There is no doubt that my brother’s commitment to treating all people with respect began with his Jewish upbringing on the west side of Milwaukee.
Our parents, Lou, a dentist, and Ann, a Milwaukee Public Schools teacher, taught me and my brothers Michael and Ronald compassion for others. That commitment was based on the Jewish value of justice, moral convictions they learned from their parents who had experienced the antisemitism of Czarist Russia. Along with most Jewish children in the 1950s and 1960s, we attended Hebrew school and learned much about Jewish traditions.
Ron graduated from Washington High School in 1963, then earned a degree in philosophy from University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
We were members of the orthodox Congregation Anshai Lebowitz at the intersection of 52nd and Burleigh, where our grandfather, Abraham Cohen, was a leader.
Ronald’s values overlapped with mine. I fondly recall a time in 1970, when I was arrested in Washington, D.C. protesting the Vietnam War, and he sent money to get me out of jail, along with a telegram stating that he was proud of me for doing the right thing.
His professional life was spent in Chicago, where he served as the medical director for the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Ron was an early advocate for Medicare for All, and along with a few colleagues, he was once interviewed by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Studs Terkel who took an interest in their work at Chicago’s Cook County hospital.
He served on the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and won the Bernard P. Harrison Award of Merit in 2011. Ron was also instrumental in shaping guidelines for disease management through his work with the National Institute of Justice.
In his later years, Ron traveled the country serving as a court-appointed monitor of prisons, including time spent at troubled Milwaukee County jails; the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a substantial article about his work in 2017.
Upon Ron’s passing, he was highly praised by colleagues for his ability to inspire and educate. He was a man of compassion, generosity and humility – a true mensch. He will be missed.
He leaves behind his wife Angie, daughters Ava, Rochelle and Maria and two grandchildren, Max and Earnest.
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Frank Shansky grew up in the Sherman Park area and now lives in Saint Francis with his wife Joanne. He is a retired union organizer and director of the American Federation of Teachers at Milwaukee Area Technical College. He can be reached at shanskyf@hotmail.com.
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