By Justin Terrell, Executive Director of MNJRC Along with this blog post, MNJRC also released a memo addressed to local governments including specific recommendations to prioritize transparency as the operation unfolds. Read it here. The federal government's ongoing Operation Metro Surge continues into another week, putting Minnesotans on edge regardless of immigration status. Over 95% of the immigrants ICE arrested during the government shutdown don’t even have a criminal co

“The system is broken, but we’re doing a good job.” By Dr. Katie Remington Cunningham This blog is a reflection that represents my own views and perspectives on the conversations that occurred with corrections staff and community members over the course of three days, from 9/22/25 to 9/24/25. In late September, some of my colleagues and I at the MNJRC were invited to co-host an international visitor on his whirlwind tour of correctional facilities and stakeholder meetings. Th

By Will Cooley and Mabel Malhotra The Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC) has been engaged in a multi-year effort to improve our state’s community supervision system focus on safely reintegrating people into the community, reducing revocations, and ensuring public safety. On October 23, 2025, we hosted a roundtable to discuss policies that can create more housing opportunities for Minnesotans on community supervision or otherwise impacted by the criminal legal system. W

In 2024, 47 percent of violent crimes reported to police in Minnesota were solved. This is 3 percentage points lower than the solve rate in 2014. In Minnesota, we are underfunding, understaffing, and neglecting the most important thing law enforcement can do to prevent crime. Solving violent crimes sends a message that criminal behavior will not be tolerated, which deters future offenses, provides a sense of justice for victims, reduces the urge to retaliate, and builds publi

This choice between reform and transformation is not just about strategies—it's about what kind of future we believe is possible. Do we believe in a future where some people are disposable, where safety comes through separation, where healing attempts to happen in isolation? Or do we believe in a future where everyone belongs, where safety emerges from connection, where those who have caused harm can find their way home?

By Ilene Park, Communications Intern My name is Ilene Park  and I am a rising undergraduate senior at the University of California,...