Central ND News

Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to advocate for three legislative bills aimed at aiding the recovery and reentry of incarcerated individuals, as well as reducing recidivism rates in North Dakota.

Strinden's testimony supported House Bills 1425, 1417, and 1549. Her involvement in a Reentry Study Work Group during the 2023-2025 interim included collaboration with legislators, leaders from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of Health and Human Services, court officials, county jail experts, and community reentry partners. The group analyzed data from the state's criminal justice system to inform these legislative proposals.

Highlighting North Dakota's progress in criminal justice reform, Strinden emphasized that the state has become a national leader in recovery and reentry efforts. The work group's report identified drug and alcohol offenses and revocations as significant contributors to rising prison admissions.

"The recommendations across these three bills support local law enforcement and prosecutors in using deflection and diversion practices – effectively interrupting misconduct early and intervening with treatment resources in cases where addiction and mental illness are the root cause," Strinden stated. "Provisions in these bills will also reduce barriers to reentry faced by people on community supervision; promote culturally responsive programming for people moving through the justice system; and support cross-agency collaboration to help justice-involved people secure medical coverage and state identification."

Strinden concluded by underscoring the goal of preparing individuals leaving the justice system to reintegrate into society successfully: "The bottom line is we want to prepare those leaving the justice system to be ready to join our workforce, become our neighbors, attend our churches, and make our state better."