Flag time was also when things people said would get overheard and shared around. So in May of 2023, when news came that Minnesota had passed a prison reform bill that could affect just about everyone who was incarcerated, we were all excited. The problem with this is that, inside, rumors spread fast, but actual information moves slowly.

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

By Alejandro Caceres-Aranda and Will Cooley The Problem of Prison Churn In 2019, over 60% of new admissions to Minnesota’s prisons resulted from supervision failures—this means that most of the people entering the facility had been there before, and were back for a violation of their supervision. These individuals comprised approximately 25% of the total prison population and cost taxpayers more than $77 million per year. On top of that, a significant number of these admissio

“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

"Had [Ryan] been provided his necessary medication while in jail, he may have been alive today." In response to the recent lawsuit to block the Larry R. Hill Medical Reform Act, the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC) issued the following statement: At the Minnesota Justice Research Center, we believe that justice should be fair and that our systems for administering justice should operate as humanely as possible while holding Minnesotans accountable for causing harm in

On Thursday, May 8th, the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC) hosted a powerful event alongside We Are All Criminals at the Weisman Art Museum titled "Let's Talk About Minnesota's Crumbling Prisons: A Community Conversation." At this event, we convened over 80 community members for a conversation about the viability of the century-old Minnesota Correctional Facilities in Stillwater and St. Cloud. After folks had a chance to walk through the powerful SEEN exhibit on carc

By Patrick Nolan, Project Coordinator for the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC). Patrick Nolan is the Project Coordinator for the Minnesota Justice Research Center. His work involves writing and research, as well as administrative and outreach support. The following is Patrick's reflection on a recent event the MNJRC hosted on the topic of restorative justice. The use of the phrase “restorative justice” has steadily grown in popularity since its formal introduction in