Progress Made
Here are some of our accomplishments as a coalition so far.
Check out this video recap of some of our
accomplishments at JFA's 2025 Day on the Hill.
2025
-
14 bills on the slate
-
14 bill hearings in House + Senate
-
41 legislators signed on as authors or co-sponsors
-
25+ meetings held with lawmakers
-
58+ advocates mobilized at Day on the Hill
​
-
5 bills passed
1. The creation of a mandatory minimums sentencing task force to determine the impact of long sentences.
2. Expanded access to mental health resources for people on probation and parole in Minnesota.
3. Law enforcement agencies will now be required to trace recovered or confiscated firearms with the goal of improving investigations.
4. A move to decommission Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater–a crumbling, expensive, and inhumane prison–by 2029.
5. The Department of Corrections will now be required to maintain a supply of opiate antagonists, like narcan, in correctional facilities to reduce overdoses.
The 2025 legislative session was a strong year for the Justice For All Coalition. We pushed for a 14-bill policy priority agenda focused on a number of public safety reforms, including expanding support for crime victims, increasing transparency in the justice system, reviewing mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and creating better treatment options for youth.​​
​
Five priority bills were passed, including $5 million for Crime Victim Services and $5 million for Youth Out-of-Home Treatment Options. Lawmakers also approved the Administrative Subpoena for Preventing Wage Theft, established a Task Force on Mandatory Minimums, and passed the Apology Letter Notification measure. These wins represent real investments in survivors, youth, and long-term policy impacts.
Throughout the session, we built strong legislative momentum. Seven bills were heard in House committees and seven in Senate committees, with 41 legislators signing on as authors or co-sponsors. Coalition members held more than 25 meetings with lawmakers to keep our priorities moving forward.
​
On March 18, 58 advocates joined us at the Capitol for Justice For All Day on the Hill. Participants met directly with DFL Floor Leader Jaime Long, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Representative Cedrick Frazier, and the Governor’s Senior Policy Advisor Eric Armacanqui to share stories, elevate community priorities, and reinforce the need for continued reform.
2024
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January 2023, we officially launched the Justice for All Coalition (JFA) with a legislative preview event at Sabathani Community Center. From the start, the coalition brought together bipartisan legislative leaders and system stakeholders, including members of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, the House Public Safety & Finance Committee, and leadership from the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
The coalition quickly grew to include more than 40 organizations and community leaders — including survivor advocates, faith leaders, legal practitioners, scholars, nonprofit organizations, and formerly incarcerated leaders — all united by a shared belief that public safety in Minnesota can be improved through thoughtful, systemic reform.
​
In its first year, the JFA Coalition provided research, narrative, and policy insight on 15 key pieces of legislation. The coalition celebrated a major victory with the passage and signing of Restore the Vote, restoring voting rights to more than 55,000 Minnesotans. The JFA Coalition also held public conversations and legislative meetings with both DFL and GOP members, strengthening bipartisan dialogue around public safety reform.
​
On April 2023, coalition leaders met with Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan to discuss the coalition’s work and future priorities. Their support — including signing Restore the Vote into law — marked an important milestone in advancing a more inclusive and accountable justice system.
​
As a nonpartisan, community-based organization, MNJRC serves as the coalition’s convener and home base, creating space for collaboration, strategy, and bold ideas. Under the leadership of former Representative Carlos Mariani, the Justice for All Coalition continues building momentum toward a justice system that is fair, equitable, accountable, and restorative for all Minnesotans
2023
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January 2023, we officially launched the Justice for All Coalition (JFA) with a legislative preview event at Sabathani Community Center. From the start, the coalition brought together bipartisan legislative leaders and system stakeholders, including members of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, the House Public Safety & Finance Committee, and leadership from the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
The coalition quickly grew to include more than 40 organizations and community leaders — including survivor advocates, faith leaders, legal practitioners, scholars, nonprofit organizations, and formerly incarcerated leaders — all united by a shared belief that public safety in Minnesota can be improved through thoughtful, systemic reform.
​
In its first year, the JFA Coalition provided research, narrative, and policy insight on 15 key pieces of legislation. The coalition celebrated a major victory with the passage and signing of Restore the Vote, restoring voting rights to more than 55,000 Minnesotans. The JFA Coalition also held public conversations and legislative meetings with both DFL and GOP members, strengthening bipartisan dialogue around public safety reform.
​
On April 2023, coalition leaders met with Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan to discuss the coalition’s work and future priorities. Their support — including signing Restore the Vote into law — marked an important milestone in advancing a more inclusive and accountable justice system.
​
As a nonpartisan, community-based organization, MNJRC serves as the coalition’s convener and home base, creating space for collaboration, strategy, and bold ideas. Under the leadership of former Representative Carlos Mariani, the Justice for All Coalition continues building momentum toward a justice system that is fair, equitable, accountable, and restorative for all Minnesotans