Presentation to the

Prison Population
Task Force
September 25, 2015

Minnesota
Department of

Prison Population Exceeds

Capacity

Prison Population vs Capacity

11000
10500

10,119

10000
95 00

A ctual Pop ulatio n

9,559

90 00

Difference o f 560

85 00
80 00
75 00
70 00
65 00
60 00

Capacity

Source: MN Department of Corrections

Future Prison Projections* vs

Capacity
(July 1 of each year)

11000

10500

10,761

Projected Prison P opulation*

Difference of 1,202

10000

Current Capacity 9,559 (male and female)

95 00

90 00

85 00

80 00

*Based on October 2014 projections

Source: MN Department of Corrections

Future Female Projections* vs

Capacity
(July 1 of each year)

Difference of 270

10 00

900

926
Projected Fem ale Population*

800

700

Current DOC Female Capacity 656**

600

500

400

300

*Based on October 2014 projections **Includes female Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP)
Source: MN Department of Corrections

Minnesota DOC Adult Prison Population

(July 1 of each year)

Actual

Projected

*Actual prison population includes those housed in a DOC facility or housed under contract in a local jail/private facility, and does include work release.

National Historic Background

Minnesota Has a Low

Imprisonment Rate

2014 Imprisonment Rate

(Sentenced prisoners per 100,000 population)

U.S. Total
Imprisonment
Rate
471

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2014.

Council of State Governments

Fifth Fastest Growing Prison Population

MN

Prison Population Percentage Change, 2003-2013

12

10

Minnesota
2

U.S.

+31%

+8%

Council of State Governments

Source: BJS, Prisoners reports http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbse&sid=40

Imprisonment Rate in the U.S. and

Minn.
412

194

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics

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Crime is Going Down.

Why is the Minnesota Prison
Population Going Up?

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Crime is Down
300000

600000
500000
400000
300000
200000
100000

200000

Total Reported
Crimes
Down 27%

Total Arrests
Down 24%

100000

140000
300000

120000
100000

200000

Court Filings
100000

(Excludes Parking)

Down 34%

80000
60000
40000
20000

Adults On
Probation
Down 24%

12

Source: Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Uniform Crime Reports; Minnesota State Court Administrator; Minnesota DOC Probation Survey

Sentencing and Penalties

13

Key Sentencing Practices

93% of all felons serve jail or prison

sentences

30% of male felons are sentenced to prison

63% of males serve time in the community or jails

12% of females are sentenced to prison

75% of females serve time in the community or

MN Sentencing Guidelines 2013

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Penalty Increases

1998 Weapons: mandatory minimum for violent felons in

possession of firearm increased from 1.5 to 5 years
2000 Failure to Register: increased to felony-level offense for all
offenders and a mandatory minimum sentence of a year and a day
2002 Felony DWI: created felony-level offense for four or more
DWIs within 10-year look-back period
Domestic Violence

2005: felony created for domestic assault by strangulation

2006: widened the net for felony-level domestic assault

Violations of restraining/no contact orders

2006: widened the net for felony-level offenses

2007: domestic abuse no contact order

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Offense Types 2000-2015

DOC Profile Card

16

Increase in New Commits (2013)

Increase is Not Confined to One Specific Type of Offense

Not Limited to a Particular Area of State

Increase of 23% for meth, 15% for DWI, 10% for person, 9% for property, 7% for other
and 5% for criminal sexual conduct (8% decrease for non-meth drug offenses)

Seven-county Twin Cities Metro Area: 7.3% increase

Greater Minnesota: 8.5% increase

Top Five Counties with Largest Numerical Increase

Ramsey: 97 (other offenses: +61)

Most of increase due to weapons (+32) and violation of order for protection or
domestic abuse no contact order (+25) offenses
St. Louis: 28 (person offenses: +13)
Otter Tail: 19 (property offenses: +7)
Scott: 16 (methamphetamine offenses: +5)
Douglas: 14 (methamphetamine offenses: +7)

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Prison Population by Offense 2000-2015

Other Offenses

Prison Population (Excludes PSI Holds)

Weapons Offenses

683

DWI Offenses

1,144

Property Offenses

5,215

Person Offenses

Drug Offenses

Source: MN DOC Profile Cards

683

454

1,911

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Impacts on Population

19

Prison Population is Up

20

Recent Impacts on Prison Populatio

Short Term Offender Law Repeal
Domestic Violence Sentence Enhancements
Felony DWI Law Added
Life Sentence/Sex Offender Law Changes
Methamphetamine Boom

21

Recent Impacts on Prison Bed

Capacity
Use of Double-bunking
Opening of MCF-Faribault Expansion
Expansion of Challenge Incarceration Program

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Impacts on Prison Intake

Police Practice Municipalities, Counties

Charging Practice County Attorney

Sentencing Guidelines Legislative Commission

Application of Guidelines County Attorney, Judicial

Availability of Community Sanctions/Treatment

Probation Violations

Parole/Supervised Release Violations

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Impacts on Prison Release

Extended Incarceration

Challenge Incarceration Program

Work Release

Conditional Release Program

Conditional Medical Release

Community Supervision

Sentence Completion

Death
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Population Facts

25

Fiscal Year 2014 Admissions

Female Admissions

Male Admissions

26

Special Prison Populations

Geriatric Growth

Youthful Offenders

Mental Health

Chemical Dependency

Extended Incarceration

Life without Parole

27

DOC Internal Options

28

What Have We Done Internally?

Expanded:

MCF-Faribault added over 700 beds

Male Challenge Incarceration Program increased from 90
in FY09 to 214 in FY14
Female Challenge Incarceration Program increased from
24 in FY2009 to 40 in FY2013

Added over 1,200 beds to existing facilities through doublebunking and the creation of additional dormitories and other
multiple-housing options
Utilized non-DOC facility options where possible:

Institution Community Work Crews housed in county jails

Work Release

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Other Potential Options

Expand Work Release

Expand Use of Local Sanctions

Violator Strategy
Electronic Monitoring

Expand Challenge Incarceration Program

Explore Alternative Sites
Explore Expanding the Criteria for the Conditional
Release Program for Non-Violent Drug Offenders

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Our Mission:
Reduce recidivism by promoting
offender change through proven
strategies during safe and secure
incarceration and effective community
supervision.
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