MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON THE WOMAN AND JUVENILE FEMALE OFFENDER IN CORRECTIONS and GIRLS COLLABORATIVE Mission: The Advisory Task Force on Female Offenders and the Girls Collaborative are dedicated to promoting and advocating for gender and culturally-responsive services for women and girls in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Further, the mission of the Girls Collaborative is to advocate for and create female and culturally-responsive opportunities to empower all girls to thrive in all stages of life. The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) established an informal task force in 1978 to address women s issues and allocated an administrative staff position to take on the responsibility of addressing the needs of female offenders on a state-wide basis. Through the leadership of the Minnesota State Legislature, a statute mandating parity for women offenders and establishing an advisory task force on the woman and juvenile female offender in corrections (Task Force) was passed in 1981. Minn. Stat. 241.70-241.73, as amended (2010). The 1981 parity law provided for a range and quality of programming substantially equivalent to programming offered male persons charged with or convicted of crimes or delinquencies. It further directed that programs for female offenders shall be based upon their special needs. To implement the statute, the DOC s Policy 102.210 ( Parity for Female Offenders ) states that its purpose is [t]o ensure the range of gender specific services for female offenders exists in all communities of Minnesota, and it tracks the statutory description in both the purpose and statement of policy. DOC Policy 102.210, Part I, Section 102, Effective 2/2/10, Policies, Directions & Instructions Manual. Introduction STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 2014-2017 In May 2007, the Task Force and the Interagency Adolescent Female Subcommittee (IAFS), known as the Girls Collaborative since 2010, issued a summary document Transition to FOCUS - Minnesota Action Plan For Female Offenders: History, Progress on 2002 Action Plan, New Directions. During the latter half of 2007 through 2010, the Task Force and IAFS continued to pursue its mission by engaging in selected projects and expanding its reach. A seamless transition occurred in 2011 with a new
Page 2 of 8 Commissioner, Tom Roy, and Deputy Commissioner, Richard Crawford, and the Task Force revised its committee structure to align better with its strategic priorities. These priorities were set out in a document entitled, Strategic Priorities 2011-2013, with six priorities identified for the first two years. Based upon projects and actions taken from 2007 through 2012, the six categories were consolidated into four and set out in a revised document entitled, Strategic Priorities 2011-2013, As Revised in 2013. This current document continues the same four categories and is supplemented by Task Force highlights from 2007 through 2013. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES for 2014 2017 As contemplated in the 2007 Transition to FOCUS document, the mission of the Task Force and Collaborative would be best served if they could continue to move forward methodically in operational alignment with the DOC. With strategies still geared to increasing community and professional visibility of policy concerns; educating and training staff and providers; broadening Task Force and Collaborative membership and reach; and addressing particular concerns as they rise to the top, the ultimate goal of the mission can remain intact: Achieving effective gender-responsive, evidence-based approaches to reducing risk in the female offender population in Minnesota enriching our state with stable and functional women and girls. The four areas for priority development are: 1. Evidence Based Practices 2. Education and Outreach. 3. Building Awareness and Support 4. Research 1. Evidence Based Practices (EBP) As Minnesota s most significant focus and strategy in Corrections, Evidence Based Practices should be the recognized framework for the overall philosophy and methodology in carrying out the mission, allowing for underlying genderspecific programming to demonstrate effective outcomes.
Page 3 of 8 The Task Force is fully committed to supporting the DOC s reentry initiative using the Transition from prison to Community (TPC) reentry model as announced by Commissioner Fabian on November 1, 2010. Accordingly, we will: continue to review gender-specific and evidence-based programming, both in Minnesota and nationally, that demonstrates and proves outcomes in reducing recidivism among female offenders by: a. obtaining representation on the EBP Policy Committee and requesting a presentation from the DOC on gender-specific EBP practices, outcomes from Shakopee and Dakota County programming for State Commit girls, and outcomes from Probation and Supervised Release initiatives; and b. arranging a presentation on DOC-led reentry efforts for girls and female offenders, including updates on female and culturally responsive trauma-informed programming and housing resources. maintain a current resource on research by creating a new subcommittee to: a. monitor and update links to national and local research on the Task Force website; b. promote promising models for Minnesota consideration; c. look for healing results such as the self-identification recognized in the Mankato State University research project on following Shakopee women post-release; and d. produce and post fact sheets on gender-responsive practices on website. advocate for and support valid risk/needs assessment tool as a primary driver for case planning and behavior, matching programming to domains with the most effective results by: a. continuing to support and monitor training, use and updates for the Women s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) tool; b. continuing to work with DOC EBP Coordinator on a collaboration among counties and consistent practices throughout the state; and c. promoting use through Task Force members of the WRNA as a standalone tool for use by agencies providing gender-responsive services.
Page 4 of 8 stay current on Shakopee programming and DOC gender-responsive research there by: a. monitoring gender-responsive outcome information as MnSTARR (Minnesota Screening Tool Assessing Recidivism Risk) is implemented and inviting Grant Duwe (DOC) to give an analysis presentation; b. scheduling regular reports at Task Force meetings; and c. holding one meeting per year on-site at Shakopee. strengthen the Girls Collaborative by: a. supporting the Girls Collaborative s strong belief that girls deserve equitable programming that is designed to address their particular needs; b. supporting programs that intentionally and holistically meet the needs of girls, so girls are empowered to grow in how they care for their mind, body and spirit; c. supporting programming that helps girls overcome adversity and emerge as resilient through programs that foster connections within the context of relationships; d. supporting programs that apply a positive youth development approach that allows girls to access their strengths and full potential; e. continuing to include topics related to juvenile females in Corrections at the annual professional conference; and f. supporting the new Girls Collaborative leadership and its creative outreach to the relevant communities and agencies. 2. Education and Outreach In addition to continued education and training for Corrections and related professionals, the Minnesota judiciary remains a critical audience for focused understanding and appreciation of gender-specific assessment and programming for sustainable improved individual outcomes. The focus of our educational efforts will be to: a. extend and monitor the use of WILL staff training video ( Strategies for Working with Female Offenders ) in additional jails;
Page 5 of 8 b. find other venues for use of the 2011-12 DVD, Women s Pathways into Crime and the Road to Recovery and other presentations; c. continue efforts to coordinate with the Education and Organizational Development department in Court Administration to develop and provide effective education programs for the judiciary by preparing our own presentations consistent with the topics preferred by the Judicial Council s Committee for Equality and Justice; d. create a new committee to continue educating the Task Force on transgender issues in the juvenile and criminal justice system and extend that education to the Judicial Council s Committee on Equality and Justice; e. continue and grow the successful annual statewide professional conference on women and girls in the juvenile and criminal justice system and consider Task Force Chair attendance at national conference; and f. continue to educate stakeholders on the essential program elements of female and culturally-responsive services for women and girls. Education and outreach go hand in hand as the Task Force increases the visibility of its mission and actions and enlarges the number of professional and community members involved. Integrating education and outreach, we will pursue leadership development in a gender-responsive environment by: a. continuing to provide staff training with the video in jails; b. inviting leaders in Corrections to join relevant Task Force committees; c. looking for opportunities to share resources with jail staff and other agencies and to identify leaders in gender-responsive practices; and d. inviting civil rights organizations to make presentations in order to build connections and increase awareness and expertise on the Task Force and find ways to improve inclusiveness. Extending our reach, we will conduct strategic recruitment in the state to broaden cultural diversity and relevant expertise by: a. continuing to seek members from communities of color and with chemical dependency, GLBT and sex trafficking expertise;
Page 6 of 8 b. replacing or rebalancing skills and expertise which is lost by resignations and retirements; and c. improving publicity for openings and the application process. Thinking out of the box, we will reach out to women and girls in the criminal justice system with creative initiatives that emphasize healing, education or skill development by: a. continuing the contest for art and writing submissions for the annual conference; b. exploring other promising healing projects such as theater that may be adaptable in appropriate locations; and c. reviewing the purpose, value and sustainability of the Women s Writing Program as a spin-off or partnership with an established nonprofit organization for overall management. To become more visible, we will strive to provide easily accessible information about the Task Force by: a. maintaining a link on the DOC home page to the Task Force website; b. continuing to post announcements, trainings, conferences, minutes, annual reports, strategic priorities and other active documents on the website; c. communicating information by Task Force members to their own locations and organizations; d. highlighting the link to the Secretary of State s Office for membership applications; and e. regularly reviewing the effectiveness of the DOC link and the website. 3. Building Awareness and Support As the Task Force and Girls Collaborative are advisory to the Commissioner of Corrections, they need to gain support of the DOC and others for the mission and for investing resources in the initiatives. To establish an alignment relationship with the DOC for maintaining open communication regarding gender-related issues and policies needing mutual support, we will:
Page 7 of 8 4. Research a. implement regular notice and discussion opportunities with the DOC s Government Relations department to obtain current information and share viewpoints on policies and legislative or other initiatives; b. add Task Force information to the DOC history on the DOC website; and c. establish a new committee to prepare a precise presentation about the Task Force that members can provide to their respective agencies or communities and for membership recruitment. To encourage informational presentations at community venues, we will prepare a list of speakers available to talk about the Task Force. To strengthen the effectiveness of initiatives, we will look for partners on priority projects of common concern at appropriate organizations by: a. building a list of conference sponsors; and b. finding an umbrella partner for the Women s Writing Program. To maintain effective relationships around the state, we will continue to hold meetings with professionals in outstate locations to hear local concerns and exchange ideas. To develop mutually valuable connections and participate further with the Minnesota Judicial Council s Committee for Equality and Justice, we will pursue contact with the Gender Subcommittee Chair. As initiatives and research results are implemented and new developments and unanswered questions arise, new research is needed for factual understanding and policy initiatives. Advising the Commissioner on research priorities is of ongoing importance as are utilizing and collaborating with existing research resources (federal, state, county, higher education institutions, foundations). To emphasize the importance and availability of relevant research, we will strive to remain informed by: a. advocating for research analyzing the WRNA regarding the benefits of targeted services and interventions; recidivism; and continued refinement of this tool; b. reviewing what the counties are doing with the WRNA;
Page 8 of 8 c. advocating with the DOC for data collection breakdowns with cultural responsiveness, race, gender and ethnicity in all research, including MnSTARR; d. reviewing the 2009 Legislative Report on Review Guidelines for Revocation of Parole and Supervised Release; e. identifying and pursuing research options and processes available with outside agencies or institutions and the DOC Research Evaluation Advisory Committee; and f. continuing to gather outcome data on reentry progress and results, including the housing program for females, in order to show employment, stable housing, functional homes and re-offenses data; and using the data for program expansion and continued funding, and arranging for a presentation on Reentry. Gather outcome data on girls commissioned to the Commissioner of Corrections and produce a profile similar to the one done for boys. ****************************************************************** This document on the Strategic Priorities 2014-2017 was completed in January 2015 and will be reviewed regularly at least at six-month intervals during this three-year period.