Leaders from Ramsey County and local justice reform organizations first met in May 2019, motivated to collaborate and achieve a shared vision of pretrial justice for our community. The following summer and fall, these leaders held learning conversations that resulted in the Ramsey County Bail Reform Working Group (BRWG).
In 2020, the county became a Research-Action Site with Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR) through an application backed by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, and the Ramsey County Manager's Office. As a Research-Action Site, BRWG members received intensive technical assistance and data support to study their current system, identify opportunities for improvement and implement legal, evidence-based policies and practices informed by local data and designed to improve pretrial outcomes and enhance community safety and wellbeing.
The BRWG also partnered with Research In Action (RIA) to support meaningful community engagement. RIA developed a community action plan and organized town halls.
In 2024, the group underwent a name change to Pretrial Justice Council (PJC) to better reflect the wide scope of its mission. The PJC studies research-informed policies and practices, analyzes local data, studies our system to identify opportunities for effective improvements to our pretrial system and promotes best practices that ensure fair and equitable administration of constitutional protections while eliminating the harm caused to communities of color.
Timeline
- 2019: The Bail Reform Working Group (BRWG) was formed, and concern was expressed about pretrial detention in the Adult Detention Center.
- 2020: Funding received from Arnold Ventures and was selected as a research action site by Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR) to begin work to implement a risk assessment tool.
- 2021: Ramsey County contracted with Research in Action to assist in community engagement and codesign efforts.
- 2022-2023: Held three town hall listening sessions as part of the Bail Reform Work Group, to get a wider community perspective on pretrial issues such as length of stay, mental health support, education services, childcare, and more.
- Late 2022: County and Second Judicial Court applied more resources to start decreasing the length of stay for the pretrial population.
- December 2023: Adult Detention Center Dashboard came online to address the concern from the community about transparency in pretrial issues.
- July 2024: Searchable Adult Detention Jail Roster made available for public use.
- August 2024: Pretrial release pilot program started.
- September 2024: Name change to Pretrial Justice Council (PJC) to reflect full mission.
- October 2024: Community Navigator selected and contract began.
