By C1 Staff
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — A new task force was assigned this week to look into the rise of Minnesota’s prison population and how it can be slowed.
The Minn Post reports that the state’s prison population has risen 42 percent since 2000. The rise is attributed to harsher penalties for DWIs, drugs and other offenses.
Studies show that the rise in imprisonment did not have a significant impact on the decline of crime.
Though Minnesota has one of the smallest prisoner counts in the country, it’s still using county jails to manage an estimated 500-prisoner overflow as its state facilities are packed to bursting.
The Department of Corrections has asked the Legislature for new funding to expand one facility; in June, estimated costs were $85 million, but that number has risen to $141 million.
The task force will meet Friday at 9 a.m., and will include lawmakers, DOC officials, public defenders and law enforcement.