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Announcements
Artist and active community member Richard Amos' untitled work on the depth of individual experiences, submitted for our upcoming Art and Justice Benefit (see below).
Art and Justice!
Save the Date:
November 19, 2009
The Council will host a three week long exhibit of art created by prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims of crime, juveniles and others at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system, and artists whose work reflects a social justice theme.
The exhibit opens on November 19th with the 2009 Art and Justice Benefit. Watch for more information…
Call for Artists’ Submissions
Art on display and/or for sale at the Art and Justice Benefit and Exhibit will include drawings, paintings, photographs, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, pottery, poetry, books, etc. There will be performances over the course of the exhibit, and we will produce a number of short films on related topics. If you are an artist, or know one who might be interested in participating, please let us know…
If you have Art and Justice questions or submission ideas, contact Susan Smoluchowski at 612-353-3035 or smoluchowskis@crimeandjustice.org .
We look forward to your joining us at the event and exhibit. We can promise you a unique experience and some equally unique holiday shopping.
2009 MN Justice Forum!
Save the Date:
October 12, 2009
The Council will convene the second annual Minnesota Justice Forum on October 12. This year’s theme will be “The Politics of Criminal Justice Policy: Moving Beyond the Era of Mass Criminalization and Perpetual Punishment”. Marc Mauer, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project, and Julie Stewart, Executive Director of Families Against Mandatory Minimums are our guest speakers. The Council convenes the Minnesota Justice Forum to bring policymakers and community leaders together to create just and effective criminal justice policy.
For more information contact Mark Haase at 612-353-3020 or haasem@crimeandjustice.org
Public Awareness Media Campaign
With support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Council recently hosted a series of Philanthropic Discussions Around Reentry. A diversity of funders from both the private and the public sector participated. Based on recommendations from the discussions, the Council is developing a public awareness campaign to educate the public on the facts of reentry as well on the barriers to reentry faced by persons with criminal histories. For more information, contact Susan Smoluchowski at 612-353-3035 or smoluchowskis@crimeandjustice.org
Evaluation Services
The Council has a highly skilled research team available to help your organization with its evaluation needs, providing a proactive approach to ensure the most effective project models. Services offered include focus groups, individual or group interviews, information analysis, report writing, and literature review. Examples of completed evaluation reports are available on the Council’s website. If you would like more information on the Council’s Evaluation Services, contact Ebony Ruhland at 612-353-3000 or ruhlande@crimeandjustice.org.
Thank You to our New and Renewing Funders!
We are extremely grateful to the many individuals, families, organizations and institutions that support our work. Your contributions, especially meaningful during these economic times, allow us to continue to work toward our vision of equal justice.
Contributions to the Council on Crime and Justice, a 501(c)3 organization, are tax-deductible. Click here to see a full list of our contributors.
For more information, contact Susan Smoluchowski at 612-353-3035 or smoluchowskis@crimeandjustice.org.
Board Members
Thank You and Welcome
The Council would like to thank its departing Board Members, Rick Solum and Paul Tschida, for their many and generous contributions toward the Council's mission.
We would also like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Board Member, Don Trevarthen.
Office Space Available
The Council’s Office Building at 822 South Third Street is available for sale or lease. For more information, contact Chris Knips at 612-353-3008 or knipsc@crimeandjustice.org.
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The Council on Crime and Justice builds community capacity to address the causes and consequences of crime and violence through research, demonstration and advocacy.
President's Perspective
Greetings Everyone,
My first year at the Council has been both uplifting and challenging. Although there are no easy answers in these hard economic times, and retrenchment might seem the order of the day, we have accomplished much since we were last in touch, as you will see in reading this newsletter. “Justice” still is, and remains, our goal, and we believe that this is just the time to step up, search for those answers and move forward. Why, in 2009, are we still talking about racial disparities, disproportionate minority contact in the criminal justice system, fair re-entry practices, and how to best serve children of incarcerated parents? We are still discussing these issues because we have not found adequate solutions - but we can and we will.
This year has been a year of transition for the Council, as we also turned inward to focus on running our organization more effectively - with less. I can assure each of you, though, that we are just as devoted to the concept of “A Just and Fair Society is a Safer One” as we have ever been. While looking inward can often be painful, we remain on track, slightly leaner, but indeed healthy and all the more dedicated to our mission.
We do not see “Justice” as an elusive concept but as a working reality that we here at the Council can make come alive for the people we serve and the community at large. Your support has been invaluable in helping us accomplish this work so far, but we have even farther to go.
With your continued support, we will continue to improve community capacity to address the causes and consequences of crime and violence through research, demonstration and advocacy.
Respectfully,
Pamela G. Alexander, President
Council on Crime and Justice
alexanderp@crimeandjustice.org
Research Update
Research Demonstrates Difficulties for those with Low-Level Offense Records
It is generally known that individuals with felony or gross misdemeanor criminal histories have a difficult time finding employment. What is less known is that a criminal history involving a low-level offense or an arrest without a conviction can be a barrier not only to getting a job, but even to obtaining a job interview. This issue was explored in a recent study conducted by the Council and the University of Minnesota. 66% of the employers interviewed for the study currently conduct background checks on prospective employees.  Of those, two-thirds use private, loosely regulated data mining companies that may provide inaccurate information.
The results of the study, "The Effects of Low-Level Offense Records and Race on Employment," show that low-level records and race do have a disturbing combined effect on entry-level employability in the Twin Cities, calling into question current laws that allow access to low level and arrest records and raising the challenge of how to balance the legitimate rights of employers with those of private citizens. For more on this topic, please see our public policy update below.
The Council wishes to recognize the JEHT Foundation, which funded this study. The foundation made invaluable contributions to criminal justice reform before having to close its doors due to the Madoff investment scandal.
Public Policy & Advocacy Update
Council's Legislative Agenda Becomes Minnesota Law
The Council’s public policy efforts resulted in some excellent changes to state law this year, a welcome shift from decades of tough-on-crime legislation that rarely considered true long-term public safety and restoration of offenders. It was only possible with the many people who stepped up to make it happen, including the legislators who authored and supported the changes, the members of the Second Chance Coalition, and Council board members and staff. Everyone who helped to make it possible should be proud of the role they played, and encouraged to continue working toward future reforms!
Ban the Box (Minn. Stat. 364.021) Minnesota will become the first state to require all public employers to remove the criminal records question from applications and wait until someone has been selected for an interview before inquiring into their criminal history for non-exempted positions. This will provide applicants for an estimated 180,000 positions throughout the state to be evaluated based upon all of their skills and qualifications, not just their criminal record!
“Safe Hiring” (Minn. Stat. 181.986) This law narrows the potential liability exposure for employers hiring someone with a criminal record. The Council will be working with employers to encourage them to use this law to change their hiring practices.
“Higher Education Notice” (Minn. Stat. 135A.157) This law requires postsecondary educational institutions to give notice to applicants of potential effects of criminal records on future employment. The Council has heard from a number of students who made their way through college or training programs, only to find that their criminal record prevented them from finding a job within their field of study. By giving future students notice, they will be able to better plan their future. Hopefully it will also educate the public about the often harsh and irrational limitations statutory barriers place upon people trying to better themselves. Click here for an MPR story on the legislation.
More detailed information on these pieces of legislation may be found here.
What's Next? Most people are surprised to learn that juvenile records are available under many circumstances and can keep young people from reaching their full potential later in life. To begin to address this issue, the Council recently formed a Juvenile Records Reform Working Group, comprised of criminal justice professionals, to explore legislative reforms regarding juvenile records. We are also beginning to work on legislation that will increase the remedies available for individuals with criminal records to be restored to full community membership.
Demonstration Update
Family Focus Proves Successful
The Council takes pride in its comprehensive approach to positive criminal justice system reform. The Council’s Family Strengthening Project (FSP), a demonstration project funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), has received national recognition for  its impact on families dealing with incarceration and for its contributions to reducing rates of recidivism. FSP is the first project of its kind developed to reduce the impact of incarceration on the entire family. FSP provides holistic services to incarcerated fathers and their families in the community, promotes responsible fatherhood and adult relationships, fosters healthy connections with children, and increases the family’s economic self-sufficiency. In December of 2008, FSP was one of two among 40 similar DHHS funded projects selected by James Bell Associates, an independent evaluator, to be designated an Office of Family Assistance Promising Practices Site. FSP is currently working with James Bell to create a report outlining the project’s successes. The report will be disseminated to Federal policy makers and the new Presidential administration.
More information on the Family Strengthening Project can be found here
Demonstration Update
Crime Victims' Support Services Going Strong
Consistent with our holistic approach to improve the delivery of justice, the Council provides services to offenders and their families as well as to victims of crime. A longstanding partnership between the Council and the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office, the Crime Victim Liaison Project (CVL), works to ensure that victims of misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor crimes occurring in Minneapolis are informed about the criminal justice process and given the opportunity to provide input regarding the prosecution of the case in which they are involved. CVL seeks to uphold victims’ rights in the courtroom and throughout the prosecution of the case, while also providing victims with resources and referrals related to their individual needs.
The Council also provides General Crime Victims Services (GCVS) to support victims of general crime. A wide range of services are offered. These include in-person intervention, emergency safety procedures, and a 24-hour hotline to assist victims of crime. GCVS has a growing volunteer base, including 40 volunteers on the hotline who have completed 3,500 hours of volunteer work during the first six months of this year. If you are interested in volunteering for GCVS, contact
Camille Reich at camille.molloy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us.
Council Develops Family Violence Initiative
Over our many years of working with victims of crime, offenders and others who are at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system, the Council has come to understand that the issue of family violence pervades the lives of many of our clients. We have also come to understand that treating the issue in a holistic manner - providing parallel services, when safe and appropriate, for each member of a family dealing with family violence - may be the most effective way to reduce its growing incidence. As a result, we recently made the determination to develop the Family Violence Initiative, which will intersect with and enhance many of our ongoing project services, while expanding services to include often overlooked populations. The initiative takes a multi-faceted approach, developing and providing resources, education, support, counseling and other services. Participants will include families who have experienced family violence as well as those who are at heightened risk. The Council recently received a planning grant from the Minneapolis Foundation for development of the model. Additional funding to launch this important initiative is also being sought. For more information, contact Camille Reich at camille.molloy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us.
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