Hennepin County Attorney's Office hosts A Season For Second Chances

On Thursday, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office hosted A Season for Second Chances community conversation at All Square in Minneapolis.

WATCH THE EVENT

With a packed house of more than 50 interested community members in attendance, staff gave presentations and answered questions about how the office is implementing prosecutor-initiated sentencing adjustment (PISA) and provided the latest information on the expungement process.

PISA is the result of a new law passed by the Minnesota Legislature, designed as a fix for people serving excessive sentences who no longer pose a threat to public safety. Prosecutors may file a petition on the grounds that there are substantial and compelling reasons to adjust an excessive sentence – the decision on whether to resentence will be made by a judge.

By having PISA available as an option, incarcerated people have additional incentive to engage in services and rehabilitation, improving their ability to reintegrate into society at the time of their release.

Expungement is the sealing of criminal records and is a valuable tool for people with convictions in their past to seek housing, employment, licensing, volunteer opportunities and more.

Once a sentence has been served, it’s in the community’s interest for the person to be able to find housing and work, and become the best member of that community they can be.

Find the resources from the event here and reach out to citizeninfo@hennepin.us with additional questions.