U of M researchers say Ramsey County youth restorative justice program is reducing repeat offenses

New data out of Ramsey County, Minnesota, shows a new approach to youth crime may be working. 

According to a newly released report from the University of Minnesota Medical School, the Imaging Youth Initiative is reducing repeat offenses by shifting some cases out of court and into community-based programs.

Launched in mid-2021, Ramsey County has used a collaborative team — including prosecutors, public defenders and community members — to decide which youth cases can be handled through restorative justice instead of traditional court. 

"Value humanity first"

U researches were able to use youth criminal justice data from between 2010 to 2024 to assess the initiative's effectiveness — with study authors Kara Beckman and Rebecca Fries concluding the work is paying off.

Beckman said the study found that between July 2021 and December 2024, youth whose first assault case was resolved through community accountability had a 66% lower risk of reoffending compared to similar youth processed in traditional court.

"Youth whose first referral felony or gross misdemeanor cases were resolved in community accountability had 50% lower risk, or half the risk of recidivism compared to similar cases processed in traditional court" Beckman said. 

Beckman says the changes also led to "decreased racial disparities in access to community accountability."

"When we value humanity first, center the wisdom and lived experience of those most impacted, and are transparent and honest with data, we can come together to make a difference," Beckman said. "We have yet to find a population for whom there is evidence that community accountability is less effective than traditional court processing."

Yellow Medicine County's model

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said the initiative's origins go back to 2019 when his office and other stakeholders analyzed the methods employed over the past 20 years by the Yellow Medicine County Attorney's Office in southwestern Minnesota.

"The community is engaged through restorative circles to support families and youth who are coming into the child protection system and into the juvenile delinquency system," Choi said. "The outcomes that they've been able to achieve is better public safety and reduced costs on out-of-home placements because they have figured out a way to engage the community into the work of child protection and responding to juvenile delinquency, so we were inspired."

"Do we teach, or do we punish?"

The process works for about 300 families a year. Supporters say it's about addressing root causes, not just punishment.

"What happens when a kid can't read? We teach, right? When a kid can't swim, we teach. But when a kid doesn't know how to behave, do we teach or do we punish?" said restorative practitioner Brenda Burnside. "So we have to think about how are we presenting choices to young people and do they even have choices."

Dr. Brooke Cunningham, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, praised the initiative's model for "reducing harm and improving well-being across the generations."

"We know that the traditional justice response disproportionately impacts communities facing social inequities," Cunningham said. "Community-based restorative justice aims to address the needs of victims, the accountability of offenders and involve the community in the healing process."

The plan is to expand the program in the near future while continuing to track data over the course of a decade.