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 of

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?

Today, May 25, marks five years since former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, whose cries for breath and calls to his mother shook the world. It has been five years since our city rose in response, demanding acknowledgement of the rampant racism in our law enforcement and the need for a reckoning with the violence carried out by police against the Black community. As the movement quickly spread across the U.S. and globally, the world had a quest