The Pretrial Data Transparency Act failed to pass for the second year in a row in Minnesota, but the Minnesota Justice for All Coalition is not deterred, continuing to push for reforms in a system where 63% of Hennepin County’s jail population is Black.
Izzy Canizares
Posted inLocal & State
Legal Rights Center Launches Hotline to Close Gap in Legal Defense for Low-Income Minnesotans
The Legal Rights Center has launched the First Defense Hotline, a 24/7 resource connecting Minneapolis arrestees with free legal counsel in the first hours after arrest, addressing the wealth gap in a legal system that too often leaves Black and brown Minnesotans without adequate representation.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
HCMC secures $205 million in funding in a last-minute legislative bill
Governor Walz signed a health and human services bill securing $205 million in stabilization funding for Hennepin Healthcare Medical Center, which had been at risk of closure after eight years of operational losses, with 75% of its patients uninsured or on public insurance.
Posted inLocal & State
“Modern-day slavery:” How Minnesota’s prison labor pipeline begins before conviction
Over 40% of Minnesota’s pre-trial jail population is Black, and once convicted, many are funneled into prison work programs paying as little as 50 cents an hour. The End Slavery Minnesota Coalition says it is not rehabilitation. It is exploitation.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
New South Minneapolis Clinic Promises to Make Healthcare More Accessible to Residents Regardless of Insurance
Southside Community Health Services has opened a new $30 million East Lake Street Clinic in South Minneapolis, offering medical, dental, vision and behavioral health services for residents with and without insurance in one of the city’s most underserved corridors.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Residents Rally Behind HCMC, Which Finds State Funding Days Before End of Legislative Session
HCMC went from facing closure to securing a promised $205 million in state funding after a legislative deal brokered by Gov. Tim Walz, as residents and health care leaders rallied at a public forum hosted by Attorney General Keith Ellison.