North Dakota Judge Supports Shift in Treatment for the State’s Criminal Justice Population

North Dakota Presiding District Court Judge Frank Racek is calling for state leaders to work together to transform the current system for delivering community-based services to people in the criminal justice system to one that follows risk, needs, and responsivity principles. Judge Racek argues that the system for delivering rehabilitative treatment must:

• Focus on people’s individual criminogenic needs;
• Assess people promptly to help inform decisions and create action plans;
• Respond to program participants’ setbacks appropriately; and
• Evaluate programs regularly to ensure that they’re effective.

Judge Racek was a member of the Incarceration Issues Committee, which met throughout 2016 to study North Dakota’s criminal justice system. As a result, North Dakota enacted SB 2015 in April 2017, which allocated $7.5 million to expand the availability of and access to community-based behavioral health services for people in the criminal justice system.

Read more about Judge Racek’s views on rehabilitation here.