Crime, Law and Justice

Minneapolis will follow police reform consent decree, despite DOJ dismissal
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss its case against the city of Minneapolis that could have resulted in a federal consent decree and mandated reforms for the Minneapolis Police Department. 
Red tape, rising costs slow efforts to rebuild businesses burned after Floyd’s murder
Five years after George Floyd’s killing set off nights of destruction, vacant lots and broken buildings remain along Lake Street and other Minneapolis business districts. Some business owners say money woes and city zoning rules have made it hard to rebuild.
Report reviews one year of Minneapolis’ progress in court-ordered police reform
On Tuesday, the independent monitor shared a report that laid out what the city and the police department has done to comply with court-ordered reforms thus far, where it’s fallen short and what’s next.
Minnesota’s largest bail fund became famous in 2020. Now it’s changing direction
The Minnesota Freedom Fund is a bail fund, focused on paying the bail of people jailed ahead of trial. But last week, the organization announced a change in course. By the end of this month, it will no longer be directly paying bail.
Voting rights advocates tout success of new law in getting formerly incarcerated people to the polls
A change in Minnesota law allows people convicted of felonies to vote after they have been released from incarceration. About 20 percent of people who were previously barred from voting went to the polls — a number that was higher than some advocates expected.