ST PAUL, Minn. — There's a reintroduced approach to public safety, outlined in the Public Safety Omnibus Bill that's gaining a lot of attention in the Minnesota Legislature.
The Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act allows convicted felons the option of an earned early release through a rehabilitation program.
"We want people that go into prison to come out better people than when they went in," said Will Cooley, project lead with the MN Justice Research Center.
"We want them to be employable; we want them to become tax-paying citizens when they get out of prison, and this is about incentivizing those behaviors," explained Cooley.
It's a move supporters of the bill say would save the state $4,600 per inmate, putting money back in the state's general fund, victim support services, crime prevention and intervention initiatives and community-based correctional programs.
But as some Republicans see it…
"This bill is the get out of jail free card for violent criminals," said Republican House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth.
"The bill ignores the needs of law enforcement officers across the state and it fails to hold judges and prosecutors accountable for light or no sentences," said Rep. Paul Novotny (R-Elk River).
"I think this is a pro-law enforcement bill. It's about focused deterrents; it's about spending your resources where they're most needed in those first weeks, months and a year when a person gets out," said Cooley.
However, supporters of the bill do admit that some of the provisions in the bill aren't perfect.
"This has been done in other states and it has lowered the incarceration rate while increasing public safety," said Cooley.
"Putting criminals over the safety of Minnesotans is a horrible policy that can't be explained," said Rep. Demuth.
Part of this act outlines the need for victim input as part of the eligibility requirements.
The bill also outlines that convicted violent criminals involved in homicides or criminal sexual conduct would not be eligible.
House members debated the bill into Tuesday night before it was eventually tabled until Wednesday.
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