Types of Community Supervision
Supervised Release: Community supervision for those who committed felony offenses are released from prison on their court-ordered release date.
In Minnesota, state law requires most people serve two-thirds of their sentence in prison and one-third in the community under supervision. Some people who require greater supervision are placed on intensive supervised release.
Probation: A community supervision sanction imposed on a person by the court as an alternative to or in conjunction with confinement or intermediate sanctions. They may be convicted of felony, gross misdemeanor, or misdemeanor offenses.
Parole: An indeterminate form of sentencing whereby people are released to community supervision after serving at least the minimum sentence imposed by the court. In Minnesota, only juveniles and some life-sentenced individuals are eligible for parole. The commissioner of corrections is the paroling authority.
The network of local correctional systems in Minnesota is large and uniquely designed to allow for local control. Approximately 96,817 people are on supervised release, probation, or parole – are being supervised in Minnesota’s communities. By comparison, approximately 7,511 people are incarcerated
in Minnesota’s prisons. This reflects Minnesota’s commitment to serving persons at the local level when possible and reserving prison beds for persons with the most serious sentence, or chronic reoffending. Locally delivered programs are a significant part of the state’s correctional services. There are three systems that are responsible for persons under community supervision. This fact sheet provides a brief description of each system.
Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC)
The DOC provides adult felony probation and supervised release supervision in the counties that are not part of the Minnesota Community Corrections Act. State-provided services are under the direction of 17 district supervisors, three of which are intensive supervision district supervisors. The full cost is borne by the State of Minnesota.
In addition to felony services, the DOC also provides juvenile and misdemeanant services to the court in 30 counties. These counties, referred to as contract counties, are billed for service costs, including agent salary and fringe benefits. Counties are reimbursed for a portion of these costs with funds appropriated by the state legislature.
The DOC also provides intensive supervised release (ISR) services in 75 counties and through contracts with some CCA agencies.
Community Corrections Act (CCA)
Since its 1973 approval by the Legislature, any Minnesota county or group of contiguous counties with a population exceeding 30,000 may elect to enter the CCA. Under this system, the county provides community supervision services. Funding is provided by a combination of state subsidy and county tax dollars. This system is overseen by a local Corrections Advisory Board and must submit
comprehensive plans to the DOC for approval. Currently, 36 counties representing 24 jurisdictions participate in the CCA.
County Probation Officers
CPOs work at the pleasure of the county’s chief judge and are supervised by the county’s court services director. State law allows the DOC to reimburse a portion of salary and fringe benefits of the director and CPOs with funds appropriated by the state legislature. In these counties, those who committed a felony are supervised by the DOC, and CPOs supervise juvenile and most adult misdemeanant offenses. There are currently 24 counties utilizing this method of correctional delivery.