Reform Horizons
Reform Horizons
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While we saw critical progress in 2023, Minnesota's community supervision system still needs more transformation. Explore the policy changes that, according to data, could continue to reshape supervision practices in our state and improve outcomes for both public safety and individuals under supervision.
While we saw critical progress in 2023, Minnesota's community supervision system still needs more transformation. Explore the policy changes that, according to data, could continue to reshape supervision practices in our state and improve outcomes for both public safety and individuals under supervision.
The incessant requirement to get drug tested while on supervision is disruptive to people's lives. Luke's story paints a clear picture. Minnesota's community supervision system currently applies drug testing broadly, often without considering an individual's needs and misallocating resources.
At MNJRC we believe community supervision drug testing practices should be more intentional by focusing on those who genuinely need substance use monitoring, while allowing others to rebuild their lives without unnecessary barriers. The saved resources could be redirected toward meaningful rehabilitation services, including treatment for those who need it.
Hennepin County's introduction of more responsive drug testing practices in recent years is a step in the right direction. Stay tuned as we begin to shape these ideas into policy proposals.
While many people on community supervision face the risk of victimization, Minnesota's current system prioritizes the monitoring of compliance over individuals' safety. Probation officers and supervision agents are often too overloaded with cases, hyper-focused on preventing future offenses for fear of losing their jobs, and not adequately trained on identifying a client's risk of victimization. While most people transition out of incarceration without incident, Christopher and many others met the often deadly consequences of this system shortcoming.
The supervision system should do more than just check if people are following rules. It should also keep them safe. Officers need tools to spot when someone might be in danger, better communication with police about potential threats, and help finding secure housing that gets clients away from risky situations.
People coming out of prison or jail — especially those with histories of violence — face real dangers that the system currently ignores. One in four people on probation and more than one in three on parole were convicted of violent crimes, making them targets for retaliation. Stay tuned as we work to change community supervision from a system that only tries to prevent future crimes to one that also protects clients from being victimized themselves.
The lack of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in jails is often fatal for people with substance use disorders. Ryan's tragic case demonstrates this reality. Minnesota's correctional system currently leaves many people without access to evidence-based addiction treatment during incarceration, and that lack of care leads to post-release overdoses.
Everyone deserves a healthy and safe life, whether they have committed a crime or not. Research shows that MAT programs can reduce overdose deaths by 58% and yet less than half of Minnesota's county jails currently offer these life-saving interventions.
Minnesota's pilot programs providing Medicaid-covered services and MAT in some facilities represent progress in the right direction. Stay tuned as we work to expand these evidence-based approaches to prevent overdose deaths and support successful reentry across all correctional facilities in our state.
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