Second Chance Act Grantee Receives National Criminal Justice Association Award

The Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC) was one of five organizations in the country to receive the 2017 Outstanding Criminal Justice Program Award from the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) for its High-Risk Revocation Reduction (HRRR) program. According to the NCJA, these awards are an opportunity to honor innovative criminal justice programs with proven effectiveness.

Launched in 2011, Minnesota’s HRRR program works to reduce recidivism among adult men who are assessed as having a high risk of release violations by providing supports that include supplemental case planning, housing, employment services, cognitive-behavioral programming, and mentoring. A randomized controlled trial showed that participation in HRRR significantly lowered the risk of supervised release revocations and reconvictions by 28 percent and 43 percent, respectively.

HRRR was initially funded by Second Chance Act (SCA) demonstration grants in 2010 and 2011. After grant funding was exhausted, the MN DOC and community partners successfully lobbied for new funds to continue the program, and the Minnesota Legislature subsequently appropriated $1 million to replicate the program and increase its capacity.

The MN DOC was also a 2015 SCA Statewide Adult Recidivism Reduction grant recipient. Learn more about SCA grant programs.