If you’re like most people, you’ve probably been cited for a minor crime at some point in your life. Whether it was for driving without insurance or for a stupid mistake made on spring break, these minor issues can actually snowball out of control if you’re not careful. In an effort to prevent minor citations from becoming a big burden, Minneapolis is hoping to change the way some of these crimes are handled by the court.
For example, a person might end up with a citation and a court date after receiving a citation for disorderly conduct. They forget about the court summons or they can’t get off of work, and the no-show now results in a warrant or a revocation of their driver’s license. Now all of a sudden a small issue has taken on some serious real-life consequences. The city of Minneapolis has tried a few new techniques over the last few years to prevent these minor offenses from becoming a blemish in the form of a permanent criminal record. Some alternatives to fines and jail time have included:
- Meeting with a victims panel
- Performing community service
- Taking educational classes
But the city wants to take the approach one step further by creating a special team of prosecutors who will review cases before certain misdemeanor charges ever show up on people’s records. The goal of the team is to spot and eliminate “unfair barriers” that can make it difficult for people to escape the court system, said Minneapolis city attorney Susan Segal.
“I think everyone should be held to the same standards of not endangering other people, not crashing into parked cars or through people’s yards,” Segal said. “There need to be consequences for that. But if your life is being made a lot more difficult just because you have a lot less money than someone who has more money in the criminal justice system, then those are the things we really should be looking at.”
Program Specifics
The special prosecution team will be funded by a $248,000 allowance from the Minneapolis City Council. In addition to the special prosecution team, the city and county are developing a technological fix that will route certain misdemeanor charges into a “virtual holding tank” until they are reviewed, rather than sending them directly to the courts. The alternative treatment options wouldn’t be available to anyone previously charged with a more serious offense.
Another alternative option being offered through the program is the chance to meet one-on-one with an officer to discuss the events that led to the arrest. After the meeting, the minor arrest would be wiped from their criminal record. More than 20 people have already completed this alternative program option.
For shoplifters or individuals who run out on a cab or dinner fare, the city introduced a shoplifting diversion program back in 2014. 87 of 117 people enrolled in the program were able to complete it last year,
“It was more of a reflection process, a personal solution, versus just paying a fine and acting like it never happened,” said one individual who went through a similar diversion program for underage drinking.
This is a good move by the Minneapolis City Council, and hopefully other cities follow suit. There needs to be punishment for certain crimes, but other low-level offenses shouldn’t affect a person’s ability to rent an apartment, get a job or get into college.
