Central MN Lawmaker Appointed to Council on Justice Reinvestment

(KNSI) – A Central Minnesota lawmaker has been appointed to serve on the governor’s Council on Justice Reinvestment.

Former Sherburne County Sheriff’s Deputy and State Representative Paul Novotny, R-Elk River, has been appointed to the newly created council as part of an effort to improve how people are treated after getting out of jail.

According to a press release, the council will focus on community supervision outcomes, reducing recidivism, and improving the success rate for people on probation and supervised release.

“I look forward to bringing my years of experience as a law enforcement officer to the council as we make data driven decisions that will make Minnesota a safer place,” said Rep. Novotny. “Over the last several years, it has become clear that less accountability for offenders has resulted in a dramatic increase in crime and recidivism. I am hopeful that this council will set politics aside and do the hard work needed to reduce crime and restore safety and security to neighborhoods across the state.”

In Minnesota, the annual cost of managing correctional facilities, supporting county supervision partners, and providing reentry services is more than $600 million, of which just over one-fifth is dedicated to community supervision. Yet Minnesota has the nation’s fifth-highest rate of people on probation, with 2 in every 100 adults in the state on probation as of 2018. More than 60 percent of prison admissions are due to supervision revocations.

Justice Reinvestment is a data-driven approach to improve public safety, reduce corrections spending and reinvest savings in strategies that can decrease crime and cut back on the number of repeat offenders.

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