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.
Minnesota's Intensive Supervised Release (ISR) program is designed for people who are considered high-risk after leaving prison. They receive round-the-clock supervision by a team of agents for a full year. A 2021 study found that while the program did reduce rates of crimes committed by individuals, people were far too often being revoked back to prison for minor violations of their conditions. Plus, MNJRC's interviews with supervision agents and clients revealed that the program needed to put less emphasis on clients complying with their conditions and more emphasis on services and support.
After years of research and data analysis, the Minnesota Department of Corrections recognized that standardization and some reform was needed. With seven different agencies providing ISR supervision across the state, inconsistent expectations created confusion and inequity.
To better understand the changes coming, we talked to Jake McLellan, who led the Department of Corrections’ effort to reform ISR through the Community Supervision Advisory Committee. Jake has served as an ISR agent and is currently a Field Services Regional Manager.
According to Jake, here are the major changes we can expect to see:
Standardization of ISR policies across the state
Adjustment of supervision intensity levels based on merit instead of time. This means that clients can earn a reduction in intensity based on their involvement in programming, interventions, and their community.
ISR clients will get individualized assessments of their risks, needs, and enhanced case planning to help them understand ISR and build rapport with their agents.
To measure if these changes are successful, the Commissioner of Corrections will gather and analyze data on the value and effectiveness of ISR, including rates of revocation. Future data metrics would look to identify the number and percentage of clients granted an early transfer off ISR.
Things are already looking promising. Early reports from ISR supervisors show they have seen more clients actively participating in programming in an effort to seek an early transfer to regular supervision. In the words of Jake, "This is exactly what we are looking for."
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