Prison Reform

A campaign in partnership with the Second Chance Coalition, made up of over 50 organizations that work directly with, or on behalf of, currently or formerly incarcerated individuals.

Minnesota has some of the longest and harshestcontrolled substance sentences in the United States, we make it harder for individuals to get out on early release, and we don’t spend enough on violence prevention programs, crime victim services, and drug treatment programs. All of this means that we are locking up more people, for longer amounts of time--even as the number of crimes committed is at a 20-year low. Meanwhile, proposals are pending in the legislature to add 500 prison beds.

In addition, once released, we make it harder for former inmates to reintegrate into society by putting barriers in their way in the form of voting, housing, job, and travel restrictions—contributing to a revolving door back to prison for many. Incarceration and harsh post-incarceration restrictions not only negatively impact inmates, but their families and communities, as well, by depriving them of their loved one and making it harder for them to get by economically. Studies show such impacts fall disproportionately on Minnesota’s low-income and People of Color population.

This campaign would:

  • Eliminate mandatory minimum drug sentences. Mandatory minimum sentences prevent judges from tailoring a sentence to the circumstances of the case before them. Judges are already able to sentence based on criminal history and aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
  • Raise drug crime threshold weights to make sentences more proportionate to the offense. The presumptive sentence for first degree controlled substance (selling 10 grams or possessing 25 grams) is 86 months, the same as for crimes such as kidnapping with great bodily harm, first degree manslaughter, and first degree assault. This proposal would raise possession and sale thresholds.
  • Expand eligibility for early conditional release of nonviolent offenders. Due to very restrictive requirements, very few nonviolent drug offenders are eligible for Minnesota’s early conditional release program. Expanding eligibility criteria will make this cost-saving and supportive program available to more deserving individuals.
  • Reinvest in treatment, educational programs, and crime victim services. Savings from the above changes should be reinvested in programs that will help to reduce recidivism and support victims.

--information provided by the Second Chance Coalition, the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Council on Crime and Justice, information and image from MinnPost.com “Minnesota crime is at a 50-year low. So why are we imprisoning more people than ever?”