The Council on Crime and Justice is an independent, non-profit, 501(C)(3) organization that has been a leader in the field of social and criminal justice in Minnesota for fifty years. Our mission is to build community capacity to address the causes and consequences of crime and violence through research, demonstration and advocacy. Since our founding in 1957, the Council has been at the forefront of developing new concepts and programs in alternative sanctions, offender services, victims’ rights, restorative justice and social and criminal justice systems and policy change.
Research
The Council conducts research, in order to better understand not only what is working and what is not working within the criminal justice system, but also why. Research findings inform the development of our demonstration projects, direct service models that are rigorously tested to ensure effectiveness.
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Advocacy
The Council’s advocacy efforts are necessary to bring about system and policy change, and help to advance effective solutions to issues of concern that have been identified through our research and demonstration findings.
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Demonstration
The Council’s demonstration projects are direct service models designed and evaluated for effectiveness by our staff. These models are informed by our research findings. When a model is proven to be effective, we advocate for its adoption. The model is then transitioned to direct service providers for long-term implementation.
Be part of our year-end drive!
Read Ina Hughs' Pledge of Responsibility for Children, from Pam Alexander's 2008 MCN Conference Speech.
Click to listen - Judge Pam Alexander on MPR's Midmorning Program discussing racial disparities in the criminal justice system, among other topics.
