Sustained Progress Reforms
Sustained Progress Reforms
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Although these reforms went into effect straight away, their actual impact (or lack thereof) will emerge with time. For now, learn what policy changes were decided and why.
Although these reforms went into effect straight away, their actual impact (or lack thereof) will emerge with time. For now, learn what policy changes were decided and why.
As part of this reform, the Community Supervision Advisory Committee (CSAC) was tasked with reporting on supervision fees collected across Minnesota. Their report found that, in 2022, Minnesota counties imposed a total of $13.8 million in correctional fees* and only collected a total of $6.4 million.
After serving their time in prison, these Minnesotans face financial demands that they often can't afford to meet.
*Supervision fees could not be distinguished from other correctional fees, so the report accounts for all correctional fees.
Whereas fines are judge-ordered consequences, fees just produce revenue for the county. Still, in the words of one impacted person, "[fees] are being tossed out like candy off a Homecoming parade float, essentially extending their sentence beyond what was ordered by a judge."
They go on to explain how these fees create ongoing obstacles: "We experience success and confidence when we build it, not when the unnecessary financial barrier of these fees reminds us of who we were or what we did at every turn."
A 2024 national study from the U.S. Department of Justice showed that removing supervision fees was a relief for probation officers who found that collecting fees left them with little capacity to actually provide services to their clients. Meanwhile, the removal of fees allowed individuals on community supervision "to focus on individual well-being, which also promotes public safety."
The criminal legal system should be in the business of public safety, not of debt collection. Some Minnesota counties have already started phasing out supervision fees, which are set to end by 2027, but there's a long way to go.
Stay tuned as we continue to track the implementation of this reform and dive into the impact it has on those currently affected by supervision fees in Minnesota.
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