Our Mission
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.
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We seek a criminal legal system that promotes public safety by being more equitable, accountable, and restorative in delivering justice.
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Through research, education, and policy development, the Minnesota Justice Research Center helps our community create a criminal legal system that advances justice and safety for all.
We believe our research must be collaborative and participatory.
We believe our understanding of how the system currently operates must be guided by those closest to the problem.
We ground our work in values like humane and fair treatment for all, safety, wellbeing, and trust. We engage in deeper thinking with our community about what justice looks like while putting data behind creative ideas for solutions. We convene and build consensus among direct stakeholders.
We also monitor developments in the criminal legal system policy arena and recommend changes based on research findings. We maintain a focus on broad possibilities for re-designing our justice system. We educate stakeholders and the public in a nonpartisan manner.
We build bridges.
