Reducing Revocations Challenge

Ramsey County Community Corrections and the Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice are partnering in the Reducing Revocations Challenge, a national initiative of Arnold Ventures and the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance dedicated to understanding the drivers of probation revocations and identifying ways to reduce them when appropriate. The project aims to increase success for people on probation in Ramsey County.

The Project

Minnesota has historically had a low incarceration rate compared to other states, but has utilized probation at a significantly higher rate. In 2016, while Minnesota had the fifth-lowest incarceration rate at 380 individuals per 100,000 adults, the state also had the fifth-highest community supervision rate, at 2,450 people per 100,000 adults (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2018). Given the high reliance on community supervision, it is imperative to develop policies and practices that promote the success of people on probation.

When someone has their probation sentence revoked, they serve part or most of their sentence incarcerated, making revocations a significant contributor to jail and prison admissions. Ramsey County Community Corrections, the agency responsible for supervising people on probation in Ramsey County, partnered with the Robina Institute to identify changes in policy and practice that can reduce probation revocations and lead to better outcomes for individuals on probation while protecting public safety. Ramsey County Community Correction’s engagement in this project serves as a model for the state of Minnesota.

Project Components

There are two phases to this project. In Phase One, we conducted research to answer two broad questions: 1. What is the pathway to revocation for people on probation in Ramsey County? 2. What are the drivers of revocations in Ramsey County? This phase culminated in the release of a report on the local drivers of probation revocations in Ramsey County and how those drivers can be targeted to reduce them: Understanding Probation Violations and Disrupting the Revocation Pathway in Ramsey County, MN. 

Phase Two involves implementing a strategic plan created by the project advisory committee to address the drivers of probation revocation. The advisory committee is made up of practitioners, stakeholders, and individuals impacted by the probation system in Ramsey County. 

Reducing Revocations Challenge Advisory Committee

• Judge Reynaldo A. Aligada, Jr., Second Judicial District, Ramsey County
• Prince-Andre Corbett, Ramsey County - Racial & Health Equity Administrator
• Corey Hazelton, Ramsey County Community Corrections - Assistant Deputy Director, Adult Services
• Zachary Hylton, Ramsey County - Senior Policy Analyst, Policy & Planning Division
• Lyle Iron Moccasin, Takoda - Takoda Works Recruitment Coordinator
• Monica Long, Ramsey County Community Corrections - Director
• Malissa McCrea, Ramsey County Community Corrections - Probation Officer
• Lyndsey M. Olson, City of Saint Paul - City Attorney
• John Riemer, Second Judicial District, Ramsey County - Chief Public Defender
• Cory Tennison, Ramsey County - Assistant County Attorney