Case Explained: Minnesotans care for each other, and the justice system should, too – Legal Perspective

For almost three months, Minnesotans have weathered incessant violations of their liberties by our federal government. This escalation aims to corner residents into two false options: “comply” while witnessing illegal actions by our government, or riot and provoke a potentially even more deadly escalation. But the people of Minnesota chose another route: we stood up, we took direct action, and most importantly, we took care of each other.

Let the community’s effective, humane and trustworthy response be an example for our state’s criminal legal system to follow. 

In just the last year, Minnesotans have collectively experienced overwhelming traumas, from the assassination of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband to the school shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and the violent occupation we see today. We deserve better. We deserve a justice system that allows for true accountability and restoration when harm is caused — one that models this for the rest of the country.

We at the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC) believe that our current system is in desperate need of transformation. And Minnesotans agree. Polling from October 2025 reveals that 76% of voters across political divides support criminal justice reform, with 61% agreeing that the system needs major changes or a complete overhaul.

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We challenge you to find anyone across cultures and the political spectrum — someone who works in the system or has been personally impacted by it, an academic, a victim advocate, a business owner or an elected official — who actually believes Minnesota’s current criminal legal system is the best we can do. You won’t find them. In our years of engaging folks statewide at MNJRC, we never have.

And yet, even after the killings of Jamar Clark, Philando Castille, George Floyd and Ricky Cobb, the rise in jail deaths, crumbling prisons and this current federal invasion, Minnesota hasn’t committed to making the criminal legal system the best in the country. As a state full of people who care for each other and hold each other accountable, our failure to reflect these values in our public safety systems is a betrayal of who we are. 

Recent polling also shows that Minnesotans are aligned about necessary pretrial changes:

• 80% want more transparent data about our pretrial system.
• 79% support more robust pretrial services to ensure people show up for court.

These policies aren’t “soft” or “hard” on crime; they are smart policies reflecting the values of the majority of Minnesota voters.

MNJRC polling shows more division on issues like prison, policing and relationship violence:

• 55% believe it is important to reduce the number of people who are in jail or prison.
• 58% believe we should eliminate pretextual “equipment” stops by local law enforcement. 
• 51% support reduced sentences for survivors of domestic or sexual assault whose abuse substantially contributed to their criminal behavior.

These perspectives require us to dig in and find ways to move forward, knowing that all Minnesotans want to thrive —work, play and raise their families — in safe communities.

The data tells us that for Minnesotans, occasional, small reforms just won’t cut it. To achieve the best criminal legal system possible, we need to transform it. What can you do? Check out the rest of the polling data to understand where Minnesotans stand. Explore the research we’re doing at MNJRC — like our evaluation of Minneapolis’s approach to crisis response beyond police. Ask your representatives to support evidence-based policies that would advance our system toward justice — like HF 3414/SF 3629, legislation that holds government officials accountable when they violate constitutional rights.

Since the federal government’s incursion began, thousands of Minnesotans have been trained to care for their neighbors and disrupt unjust and unconstitutional actions. We have proven ourselves capable of supporting each other while effectively resisting a multimillion-dollar campaign of intimidation and aggression. For every bag of groceries dropped off, every whistle blown, every word of encouragement in Signal chats, Minnesotans are living out the values we deserve to see in our justice system. 

It is time our public officials act to ensure that our criminal legal system reflects the same values back to us. Minnesotans want transformation. And we deserve it.   

Justin Terrell is executive director and Katie Remington Cunningham, Ph.D., is research director at the Minnesota Justice Research Center.

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