By Will Cooley Minnesota has historically boasted a low incarceration rate compared to the rest of the United States. But when we add community supervision—probation, parole, and supervised release—to this number, 2023 rankings place Minnesota as the 13th most punitive state. Simply put by scholar Michelle Phelps, while other states have a “mass incarceration” problem, we rely on “mass probation.” A steady decline in probation numbers over the last 20 years, however, signals

By Mabel Malhotra and Will Cooley This legislative session, Minnesota lawmakers came together to decide which bills to pass during one of the most traumatic eras in our state’s history. The 2026 session came just eight months after State Representative Melissa Hortman’s tragic assassination, six months after a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, and right in the thick of ICE’s occupation and terrorization of our state. In light of all this, the tied legislature was

By Kayla Richards I have been thinking a lot lately about good and bad, about harm and repair. About mutuality and forgiveness. About contradiction. Recently, my dear friend Zeke Caligiuri introduced me to a poem by the Greek poet C.P. Cavafy called Waiting for the Barbarians. In it, a whole civilization organizes itself, its laws, its ceremonies, its power, around the threat of the barbarians at the gates. The senators stop legislating. The emperor puts on his finest crow

The Justice for All Coalition (JFA) is made up of several organizations, including the Minnesota Justice Research Center, with the goal of meaningful legal system transformations that protect public safety while addressing and transforming those parts of the system that do more harm than good. Ahead of each legislative session, members submit proposals, which are voted on to be part of the coalition’s slate of policy priorities. From 29 proposals, 11 were selected for the 20

Here at the Minnesota Justice Research Center, we know the justice system isn’t just . That’s why we’re working to change it. We do things a little differently than traditional research organizations: we center the community and build bridges to transform our criminal legal system into one that is equitable, accountable, and restorative. What does that look like in action? Check out some of our accomplishments in 2025. We released our blueprint for a groundbreaking redesign o

Each legislative session, we at the Minnesota Justice Research Center push for policies that reflect Minnesotans' priorities for public safety, community wellbeing, and justice. As this year's session begins, we are excited to share brand new, statewide data that reveals exactly what we knew to be true: Most Minnesotans, across political lines, want to see major changes or a complete overhaul to our criminal legal system. It also gives us helpful insight about perceptions of