We Can do Better; We Shall do Better!

CAMPAIGN – “LONG-TERM PLAN”

Criminal Justice System  Reform Task Force Reducing Mass Incarceration

              We will have safe streets, while ensuring “fair and equal” treatment for all…in ALL Neighborhoods

 Hennepin County Attorney’s Office – Top Priorities:

  • Reduce Mass Incarcerationand its associated financial costs and its collateral damage to families and some neighborhoods (by partnering with Key Stakeholders* in the criminal justice system in Hennepin County to find sustainable data-based, proven solutions from around the country).

  • Reduce Racial Bias, Profiling & Disparity in the criminal justice system in Hennepin County (by partnering with Key Stakeholders* to find sustainable data-based, proven solutions from around the country).

  • Reduce the criminal system’s large “footprint” in low-level, non-violent mental health, substance abuse, and juvenile cases (by partnering with Key Stakeholders* in the criminal justice system in Hennepin County to find sustainable data-based, proven solutions from around the country).

A. Criminal justice system  (“CJS”) Reform Task Force – Charge 

The task force – “Criminal Justice System Reform Task Force – Reducing Mass Incarceration” (CJS Reform Task Force) – primary goal and focus will be to expand existing “alternative” accountability programs (i.e., “alternative” programs to incarceration) and to identify fact-driven, data-based,  proven ideas, solutions, and programs from around the country that will assist in making us safer in Hennepin County and move us closer toward truly achieving Justice for ALL.

The CJS Reform Task Force will look at expanding existing programs in Hennepin County such as diversion programs (pre-and-post); substance abuse community-based programs; programs for mental health; restorative justice programs; juvenile rehabilitation community-based programs; police – “Cite and Release” programs for minor, non-violent offenses; and other types of alternative programs to incarceration.

The Task Force is charged with looking at and assessing the feasibility of existing and new fact-driven, data-based, proven ideas, solutions, and programs from around the country that show real potential to be use here in Hennepin County; programs that:

  1. Make us safer as a community;

  2. Assist us in ensuring “equal and fair” treatment for all…in ALL neighborhoods;

  3. Assist us in using fact-driven, data-based, “alternative” proven accountability programs (i.e., “alternative” to incarceration) and mechanisms from around the country for handling low-level, non-violent offender cases;

  4. Assist us in reducing the financial costs of mass incarceration; and,

  5. Reduce the significant collateral damage to Hennepin County’s neighborhoods and families that arise directly from mass incarceration – particularly in certain diverse neighborhoods.

B. CJS Reform Task Force – Composition

The CJS Reform Task Force will consist of six Working Groups. Each Working Group will be chaired by a Judge (preferably, a retired judge) and co-chaired by a senior prosecutor and a senior public defender. Working Groups’ chairs and co-chairs will also serve on the CJS Reform Task Force.

To serve on the CJS Reform Task force, we will seek chairs, co-chairs, and appropriate key stakeholders* who are bridgebuilders and are willing to seek common ground with other key stakeholders. We are looking for stakeholders who are willing to roll up their sleeves to find pragmatic, fact-driven, data-based solutions, and programs from around the country. The task force will also explore expanding existing “alternative” accountability programs (i.e.  “alternative” to incarceration) that are currently being used in Hennepin County.

C. CJS Reform Task Force – Working Groups’ Targeted Focus Areas 

The CJS Reform Task Force’s Working Groups’ primary focus will target the following six areas for purposes of assessing and utilizing data-based, pragmatic solutions and proven programs from around the country that may be feasible to use in Hennepin County:

  1. Reducing violence and recidivism in our neighborhoods;

  2. Assessing data-based, alternative proven accountability programs and mechanisms from around the country for handling low-level, non-violent offender cases;

  3. Assessing data-based alternative proven accountability programs and mechanisms from around the country that can be used to reduce crime against women, the elderly, and children in the home;

  4. Assessing data-based alternative proven accountability programs and mechanisms from around the country for handling violent and low-level, non-violent juvenile offender cases;

  5. Assessing data-based alternative proven accountability programs and mechanisms from around the country for handling low-level, non-violent offenders that suffer from mental health and substance abuse issues;

  6. Assessing data-based alternative proven accountability programs and mechanisms from around the country for ways to materially reduce the oversized “footprint” of mass incarceration in Hennepin County and its associated financial costs and its collateral damage to neighborhoods and families.

D. CJS Reform Task Force - Working Groups’ Charge

  1. Working Group on Reducing Violent Crimes and Recidivism

A. Working Group Charge: To identify and assess data-based, proven ideas and programs from around the country that demonstrate success in reducing violent crimes and recidivism and that may be feasible to implement in Hennepin County.

B. Working Group – CJS’ Issues Considered: Includes assessing proven data-based ideas and programs from around the country that: reduce and prevent violent and serious crimes; re-examines select Minnesota’s sentencing Guidelines and mandatory sentencing laws; examine probation release conditions; criminal record expungement; sealing criminal records; reducing the recidivism cycle; and, post-prison – “Re-entry” programs.

C. Working Group’s Subcommittees (3):

1. Working Subcommittee on Reducing Violent Crime;

2. Working Subcommittee on Assessing Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines for Violent and Serious Crimes; and,

3. Working Subcommittee on Reducing Recidivism

D. Quarterly & Annual Reports: For transparency, the Working Group will issue quarterly and an annual updated status reports to the public.

2. Working Group on Low-Level, Non-Violent Offenders

A. Working Group Charge: To identify and assess data-based, proven alternative “accountability” successful programs from around the country for handling low-level, non-violent offender cases.

B. Working Group – CJS’ Issues Considered: Includes assessing proven data-based ideas and programs that re-examine the: use of pre-trial release conditions; use of cash bail; use of imposing fines and fees on the poor; use of risk assessment tools; possible expansion of restorative justice programs; possible expansion of diversion programs (pre/post-plea); “alternative” forms of accountability programs (i.e.  “alternative” to incarceration); prosecution of misdemeanors, “quality of life” offenses; pre-trial release conditions (such as, “Recognizance Release”); use of cash bail for the poor; use of fines and fees for the poor; use of summons v. warrants; and, use of traffic warrants.

C. Working Group’s Subcommittees (3):

1. Working Subcommittee on Handling Petty/Misdemeanors (including “quality of life” and “order maintenance” type offenses);

2. Working Subcommittee on Handling select Gross Misdemeanors; and,

3. Working Subcommittee on Handling select Non-violent Felonies

D. Annual & Quarterly Reports: For transparency, the Working Group will issue quarterly and an annual updated status reports to the public.

3. Working Group on Crime Against Women, the Elderly and Children

A. Working Group Charge: To identify and assess data-based proven ideas and programs from around the country that show success in reducing crime against women, the elderly, and children in the home.

B. Working Group – CJS’ Issues Considered: Includes assessing proven data-based ideas and programs that focus on: crimes against women, the elderly, and children in the home; domestic violence; abandonment, neglect, physical, sexual, emotional abuse, or financial exploitation of the elderly; physical, mental or sexual abuse of children; and, “alternative” forms of accountability programs (in addition to incarceration) for crimes against women, the elderly, and children in the home;

C. Working Group’s Subcommittees (3):

1. Working Subcommittee on Reducing Crime against Women

2. Working Subcommittee on Reducing Crime against the Elderly

3. Working Subcommittee on Reducing Crime against Children

D. Annual & Quarterly Reports: For transparency, the Working Group will issue quarterly and an annual updated status reports to the public.

4. Working Group on Juvenile Offenders 

A. Working Group Charge: To identify and assess data-based, proven alternative “accountability” programs from around the Country for handling violent and low-level non-violent juvenile offender cases.

B. Working Group – CJS’ Issues Considered: Includes assessing: juvenile system reform; pre-hearing release conditions; expanded restorative justice and diversion programs; charging juveniles as adults; social services and community-based programs targeting juveniles; and, alternative forms of “accountability” to incarceration programs;

C. Working Group’s Subcommittees (2):

1. Working Subcommittee on Handling Non-violent, Low-Level Juvenile Offender Cases

2. Working Subcommittee on Handling Violent & Serious Juvenile Offender Cases

D. Annual & Quarterly Reports: For transparency, the Working Group will issue quarterly and an annual updated status reports to the public.

5. Working Group on Mental Health & Substance Abuse

A. Working Group Charge: To identify and assess data-based, proven alternative “accountability” programs from around the country for handling offenders with mental health, drug, and alcohol-based issues.

B. Working Group – CJS’ Issues Considered: Includes assessing: pre-trial release conditions; cash bail considerations; community-based treatment programs; Complementary mental health – first responders; social service programs; expanding restorative justice programs; expanding diversion programs; use of risk assessment tools, and, alternative forms of “accountability” programs.

C. Working Group’s Subcommittees (3):

1. Working Sub-committee on Handling Non-Violent, Low-Level Offenders with Mental Health Issues

2. Working Sub-committee on Handling Non-Violent, Low-Level Drug Cases

3. Working Sub-Committee on Handling Non-Violent, Low-Level Alcohol Abuse Cases

D. Annual & Quarterly Reports: For transparency, the Working Group will issue quarterly and an annual updated status reports to the public.

6. Working Group on Reducing Racial Bias in the Criminal justice system 

A. Working Group Charge: To identify and assess data-based, proven ideas and programs from around the country that show promise in reducing racial bias, profiling, and disparity in the criminal justice system.

B. Working Group – CJS’ Issues Considered: Includes assessing: reducing implicit racial bias, profiling and disparity in the criminal justice system including but not limited to the judiciary, prosecutor’s office, public defender’s office, probation office, and policing; use of risk assessment tools; police misconduct; addressing the issue of “driving while blacks”; and, community policing.

C. Working Subcommittees (2):

1. Working Sub-Committee on Reducing Racial Bias and Disparity in the Criminal “processes” of the Criminal justice system from arrest to re-entry of offenders;

2. Working Sub-Committee on Reducing Implicit Racial Bias and Profiling in Policing

D. Annual & Quarterly Reports: For transparency, the Working Group will issue quarterly and an annual updated status reports to the public.

*Key Stakeholders in the criminal justice system include the prosecutor’s office, public defender’s office, criminal defense attorneys, law enforcement, police chiefs, the judiciary, correction personnel, parole/probate officers, social services, mayors, city manager, council members, state legislators, businesses, community-based group, faith leaders, and other criminal justice-related groups and services.

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