Minnesota

On a percentage basis, Minnesota diverts more of its offenders away from state prisons and into county-based community corrections than any other state. This practice reserves prison beds for more serious offenders which creates additional challenges when guiding these offenders back into the community. For instance, approximately 1 out of 4 adult male inmates and nearly 1 out of 2 female inmates are being treated with psychotropic medicine for a diagnosed mental illness, which exceeds the national average of 1 out of 6.

The Minnesota prison population increased by 306% between 1980 and 2005, with numbers expected to continue growing. Approximately 6,000 offenders are released from Minnesota prisons each year. One-third of offenders released from Minnesota prisons in 2001 were reconvicted of another offense within three years of release.

The Minnesota Comprehensive Offender Reentry Plan (MCORP), a collaborative effort that includes 20 key state and local agencies under the direction of the commissioner of corrections, was created to work to improve access to services and supports for returning offenders.

MCORP has identified three strategic challenges for the State's reentry efforts that they plan to further during the Academy. These challenges are:

• Aligning Minnesota's many and splintered offender reentry programs into an integrated and coordinated whole;
• Aligning reentry programs with nationally recognized best practices; and
• Implementing effective oversight methods for an integrated offender reentry program.