Policy & Legislation
We’re building a fair and equitable pretrial system by writing transformative legislation and lobbying lawmakers to create lasting policy change.
We need to do more than nibble around the edges. We need to transform our current practices and create a new pretrial system.
Our legislation will:
Amend the Minnesota Constitution
Minnesota’s current constitution makes it impossible to get rid of cash bail, and it doesn’t allow judges to deny release completely. We need to amend Minnesota’s constitution in order to eliminate cash bail and allow judges to preventatively detain a narrow set of people.
Expand cite and release
Instead of arresting people and booking them into jail, law enforcement will have more discretion to use cite and release, where — like a traffic ticket — a person receives a citation and appears in court at a later date.
Build better notification and input systems for victims/survivors
Community members who have been harmed will be guaranteed more regular updates regarding case developments, have greater input during pretrial proceedings, and have access to wraparound services.
Fund pretrial services
Legislation will guarantee funding for a network of Pretrial Service Organizations (PSO) across the state. These organizations will connect defendants to resources and help them navigate the court process.
End the use of cash bail
Courts will no longer be able to hold people in jail because they are too poor to pay bail.
Create a more intentional, equitable system for deciding who gets released and who gets detained during the pretrial period
Under this system, there will be a narrow set of offenses that are eligible for detention. For a person to be detained pretrial, they must be charged with one of these offenses, a prosecutor must ask for detention, a judge must agree, and there must be no condition that could ensure success during the pretrial period. There would be a broader set of charges ineligible for detention. Most people would be released with an appropriate set of conditions. Only a small percentage of people would be held, and even then, there will be a periodic review to determine if they can be released later.
Guarantee counsel at release and detention hearings
Every person should be represented by an attorney at hearings where bail and other pretrial conditions are decided.
Join Our Movement
Join our movement to build a pretrial system that better accounts for community safety, empowers survivors and victims, and gives all defendants equal access to pretrial freedom and justice.