Transformation Blueprint: Reimagining Criminal Justice in Minnesota

MN Justice Research Center

Welcome to Transformation Blueprint, where we unpack our criminal legal system in Minnesota and beyond and build pathways to change. Hosted by team members at the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC), this podcast translates research into actionable knowledge, spotlights local and national change-makers, and connects you with ways to create a more just Minnesota. Whether you’re an advocate, policymaker, or someone who cares about justice, this is your blueprint for transformation. Learn more at mnjrc.org.

Episodes

  1. APR 8

    Responders or Fixers? The Sustainability of Crisis Response in Minneapolis and Beyond

    When the police aren’t the answer…who do you call? Minneapolis has an unarmed response team dispatched by 911 for mental health crises—it’s called behavioral crisis response (BCR) and it’s run by Canopy Roots. In 2023, Canopy Roots asked us at the Minnesota Justice Research Center to evaluate their growing BCR service. We analyzed 11,000 call logs, over 500 community survey responses, and conducted interviews and ridealongs to understand their process and their impact, and make recommendations. In this episode, MNJRC Research Director Dr. Katie Remington Cunningham hosts experts Cherie Hanson with perspective from the ground in Minneapolis, and Tahir Duckett as a national expert, for a discussion of BCR and crisis response teams, including real examples of their impact, our evaluation and the value of research, and the steps necessary to sustain these models long-term. About our guests:  Cherie Hanson is a licensed clinical counselor and supervisor, currently serving as the Program Manager at both the Minneapolis BCR and the Brooklyn Center Expanded Response Team at Canopy Roots. Her background includes extensive experience supporting high-needs students and leading mental health programs and initiatives. Tahir Duckett serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Innovations in Community Safety at Georgetown Law. Tahir has a background as a labor organizer, civil rights attorney, writer, nonprofit founder and leader, namely of Rethink and Law for Black Lives-DC. Resources: Learn more about MNJRC’s evaluation findings and recommendations of BCRGeorgetown’s Alternative Response Research Collective (See the white paper mentioned in the episode here when published)Video about BCR: She Made the Right Call – A Mother’s Bold Move That Changed EverythingCanopy Roots website 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 Keep up with MNJRC on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ @MinnJRC ⁠Facebook⁠ @MNJRC ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ @MNJRC Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions This podcast is made possible by support from listeners like you. If you want to help us continue doing this work, visit mnjrc.org/donate. Thank you.

    53 min

  2. 11/24/2025

    In the System Long Enough: The Reality of Community Supervision

    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 Keep up with MNJRC on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ @MinnJRC ⁠Facebook⁠ @MNJRC ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ Minnesota Justice Research Center ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ @MNJRC Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions This podcast is made possible by support from listeners like you. If you want to help us continue doing this work, visit mnjrc.org/donate. Thank you.

    57 min

  3. 09/18/2025

    Making Tamales: Community Solutions to Community Violence

    ***Disclaimer: We had some technical issues when recording this episode—we apologize for the reduced quality and any listening difficulties it may cause.*** Today, crime is down across the country. However, in Minneapolis, we see a dangerous pattern of non-lethal assaults not being investigated and violent crimes going unsolved. On top of this, just weeks ago, a mass shooting occurred at Annunciation Church in South Minneapolis, taking the life of 2 children, injuring others, and traumatizing everyone gathered in the space forever. This moment raises the question: how do we, as a community, respond in the face of violence? How do we take care of each other and act politically to make sure it doesn’t happen again? In “Making Tamales: Community Solutions to Community Violence,” MNJRC Executive Director Justin Terrell gets real with long-time organizer Katrina Mendoza about the impact of violence on communities, the unfunded and under-recognized individuals who disrupt violence long before it happens, and what it looks like when communities lean on each other. About our guest: Katrina Mendoza is MNJRC’s Organizing Lead on our evaluation of Project PEACE, which is a violence intervention effort by the city of Saint Paul. She has been working alongside the St. Paul community for over 25 years, in health education, grassroots organizing, leadership facilitation, and public service. She’s a community auntie and an unapologetic fighter for social and racial justice, driven by her dedication to honoring the ancestors, uplifting future generations, and making loved ones proud. Resources: Learn more about MNJRC’s Project PEACE Evaluation 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 Keep up with MNJRC on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ @MinnJRC ⁠Facebook⁠ @MNJRC ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ @MNJRC Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions This podcast is made possible by support from listeners like you. If you want to help us continue doing this work, visit mnjrc.org/donate. Thank you.

    1h 2m

  4. 08/11/2025

    How Our Bail System Needs to Change, Part 2

    In the second episode of the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC)'s podcast, Kayla Richards joins Tim Schnacke and Anna Hall for Part 2 of a conversation about cash bail and pretrial detention practices in Minnesota and nationwide. We learn about MNJRC's two-year study of Minnesota's pretrial system, the values that shone through during our community conversations, and the important recommendations we drew from the research. Resources: Learn more about MNJRC's pretrial study and dive into the report at ⁠mnjrc.org/pretrial-best-practices⁠. ⁠⁠Watch a short documentary⁠⁠ about MNJRC's community-based approach to researching bail, jail, and pretrial practices in Minnesota. Subscribe to the MNJRC newsletter to get updates on this work and hear about opportunities to get involved. Visit ⁠mnjrc.org⁠ and scroll to the bottom of any page to sign up. ⁠⁠The Bail Project⁠⁠ (or⁠ ⁠find your local bail fund⁠⁠) ⁠⁠Advancing Pretrial Policy & Research⁠⁠ (APPR) ⁠⁠APPR Community⁠⁠ (for any questions you have) More about our guests: Anna Hall is a criminal defense attorney at the⁠ ⁠Legal Rights Center⁠⁠ who's also leading MNJRC’s project to study and redesign Minnesota’s pretrial system. Through direct representation, community education, qualitative research, and partnership-building, Anna works to make the law more accessible to all Minnesotans, especially those most impacted by the criminal legal system. Tim Schnacke is a national pretrial expert and Executive Director of the⁠ ⁠Center for Legal and Evidence-Based Practices⁠⁠ in Colorado, providing research and consulting for jurisdictions trying to improve their bail practices. He’s also a pretrial legal analyst, author of several foundational publications in the field, with years of legal experience from DC to Colorado, and received the John C. Hendricks Pioneer Award for his contributions to pretrial justice in America. 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 Keep up with MNJRC on social media: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ @MinnJRC ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ @MNJRC ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠ @MNJRC Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions

    34 min

  5. 07/15/2025

    Why Our Bail System Needs to Change, Part 1

    In this pilot episode of the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC)'s podcast, Kayla Richards sits down with Tim Schnacke and Anna Hall for Part 1 of a conversation about cash bail and pretrial detention practices in Minnesota and nationwide. We hear expert perspectives on the function and failure of cash bail in Minnesota, bust misconceptions and myths about wealth-based systems of detention, and explore the question of what actually gets people to return to court. Stay tuned for Part 2 where Kayla, Tim, and Anna dig into MNJRC's two-year study of Minnesota's pretrial system and the important recommendations we drew from this community-based research. Resources: Learn more about MNJRC's pretrial study and dive into the report at ⁠mnjrc.org/pretrial-best-practices⁠. ⁠Watch a short documentary⁠ about MNJRC's community-based approach to researching bail, jail, and pretrial practices in Minnesota. Subscribe to the MNJRC newsletter to get updates on this work and hear about opportunities to get involved. Visit ⁠mnjrc.org⁠ and scroll to the bottom of any page to sign up. ⁠The Bail Project⁠ (or ⁠find your local bail fund⁠) ⁠Advancing Pretrial Policy & Research⁠ (APPR) ⁠APPR Community⁠ (for any questions you have) More about our guests: Anna Hall is a criminal defense attorney at the ⁠Legal Rights Center⁠ who's also leading MNJRC’s project to study and redesign Minnesota’s pretrial system. Through direct representation, community education, qualitative research, and partnership-building, Anna works to make the law more accessible to all Minnesotans, especially those most impacted by the criminal legal system. Tim Schnacke is a national pretrial expert and Executive Director of the ⁠Center for Legal and Evidence-Based Practices⁠ in Colorado, providing research and consulting for jurisdictions trying to improve their bail practices. He’s also a pretrial legal analyst, author of several foundational publications in the field, with years of legal experience from DC to Colorado, and received the John C. Hendricks Pioneer Award for his contributions to pretrial justice in America. 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 Keep up with MNJRC on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ @MinnJRC ⁠Facebook⁠ @MNJRC ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ @MNJRC Music: Borough by Blue Dot Sessions

    48 min
  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Transformation Blueprint, where we unpack our criminal legal system in Minnesota and beyond and build pathways to change. Hosted by team members at the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC), this podcast translates research into actionable knowledge, spotlights local and national change-makers, and connects you with ways to create a more just Minnesota. Whether you’re an advocate, policymaker, or someone who cares about justice, this is your blueprint for transformation. Learn more at mnjrc.org.

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