SF1721

This bill proposes several changes related to community supervision and corrections in Minnesota:

1. Clarification of Protective Agent Definitions – The bill updates the definition of "protective agent" to explicitly exclude federal law enforcement agents when they transport persons.

2. Community Supervision Reporting Requirements – It mandates a biennial report (every odd-numbered year) from the Commissioner of Corrections to legislative committees overseeing public safety finance and policy. This report must include workload studies, caseload data, and projections for the growth of community supervision.

3. Community Supervision Advisory Committee – The bill establishes a 19-member advisory committee to make recommendations on standards for probation, supervised release, and other community supervision practices. It specifies membership criteria, including representatives from county probation agencies, behavioral health providers, victims' advocates, and previously supervised individuals.

4. Data Collection and Reporting – The advisory committee must devise a standardized data collection method to track supervision-related metrics, such as:

   • Number of individuals sentenced to supervision,
   • Offense levels and types,
   • Violation and revocation rates,
   • Early discharge statistics,
   • Supervision restructuring data.

The Commissioner of Corrections must include this data in an annual report, with demographic analysis by race, gender, and county.

1. Repeal of Obsolete Commitment Laws – The bill repeals statutes (§253.21 and §253.23) related to the civil commitment of incarcerated individuals with mental illness. These statutes required transferring mentally ill prisoners from correctional facilities to state hospitals but are now considered obsolete.

Overall, the bill enhances transparency in community supervision practices, improves data collection and oversight, and removes outdated legal provisions.