Phase 1 Evaluation of Region Native Public Defense Corporation
Culturally Responsive & Holistic Criminal Defense in Northern MN
August 2024 - March 2025
Regional Native Public Defense Corporation (RNPDC) is a Native-led non-profit law firm headquartered in Cass Lake, Minnesota. It was established to provide innovative criminal defense representation to members of federally recognized tribes living in and around the Leech Lake and White Earth reservations. RNPDC works to address the disproportionate rates of Native Americans in the criminal legal system.
MNJRC is conducting part1of a phased evaluation to support RNPDC in their goal of reducing their clients' likelihood of future involvement in the criminal legal system by bolstering regional collaboration and response for criminal defense, mental health, and substance use disorder assessment and treatment.
From the RNPDC website.​​​​​
The first phase of our evaluation involves building consensus among RNPDC staff on desired evaluation questions and clarifying measures of outcomes for a larger evaluation. We are wrapping up the first phase in early 2025.
Get Involved
Do you live in northern Minnesota and have an interest in learning more about holistic defense models? As we wrap up this early phase evaluation, we're excited to move this work into its next phases. Reach out to the research team if you want to be part of this work in the future!
You can also support this project by donating to the Minnesota Justice Research Center. Your contributions make a difference in how we're able to do our work.
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Research Team
Community Impact Director, MNJRC
Research Assistant
External Partner
Visit nativedefense.org to learn more about Regional Native Public Defense Corporation.
