Today, Minnesota has a low number of people inside jail and prison compared to the rest of the country. But, when we add community supervision to this number, Minnesota jumps to the 13th highest in the nation for the rate of people under correctional control according to the Prison Policy Initiative. We have made some significant policy reforms, but there are still too many people on probation for too long, too many people cycling in and out of incarceration for violations, and too many people overburdened by the psychological and economic cost of being under correctional control while trying to build a life of their own.

In this episode, MNJRC Community Engagement Manager Zeke Caligiuri and Jeffrey Dorr-Slowey talk about the reality of being on community supervision in Minnesota. They discuss the mental and emotional tolls it takes on a person trying to rebuild, and the technicalities that can send someone back despite their best efforts to follow protocol. Tune in for this powerful conversation that uncovers the truth about community supervision, and begins to reimagine a system that truly makes us all safe.

About our guest: 

Jeffrey Dorr-Slowey is one of MNJRC’s Just Lead Fellows and a Community Organizer with T.O.N.E. U.P. where he advocates for and empowers justice-impacted people through the reentry process, particularly through personal, professional, and political development training.

Resources:

T.O.N.E. U.P. – Reentry Services (toneup.org)

Until We Are All Free – (uwaaf.org)

Reentry Lab – (reentrylab.org)

About the podcast:

Transformation Blueprint: Reimagining Criminal Justice in Minnesota translates MNJRC’s work on the criminal legal system into an accessible podcast that bridges research and community action. This podcast connects our audience to timely developments in the criminal legal system by featuring researchers, advocates, people who work in the system, and people who are impacted by it. We strive to translate research into actionable tools for change with and by community, provide plain-language education on complex legal concepts, and spotlight innovative justice initiatives making real impact.

About MNJRC:

The Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to driving meaningful change to Minnesota’s criminal legal system through rigorous and community-centered research, education, and policy development.

Visit our website and join us in this work: ⁠⁠⁠mnjrc.org⁠⁠

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Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions

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