A Fresh Path for Young Offenders in Ramsey County

Ramsey County is changing how it handles youth crime. Instead of sending most teens straight to court, the county’s attorney and public defender offices joined forces with community groups and police in 2021. They launched the (Re)Imagining Justice for Youth program, which looks at each case as a whole. A team that includes a prosecutor, a defender and a trained community member decides if the case should be prosecuted, diverted or dropped. The goal is to meet a young person’s developmental needs and avoid the cycle of re‑offending. Data from 2021 to 2024 shows the new approach works. Court cases fell by half, while community‑based accountability grew to a quarter of all youth cases. Even though the new cases were often more serious, they still went to community programs at a higher rate than before.When teens were sent to the diversion program, only 4 % re‑offended within a year—versus nearly 30 % for those handled by the court. That means teens who finish the program are about 86 % less likely to re‑offend. Certain offenses, like assault, now see a 66 % drop in future crime when handled by the program versus court. Experts say numbers alone don’t capture the full picture. John Reimer, a chief public defender with three decades of experience, stresses that the program is about people, not statistics. He notes how hearing a teen’s full story—such as a case involving a stolen car and domestic abuse—can lead to a restorative solution that keeps the community safer. The initiative is still new, but early results suggest that a collaborative, restorative model can reduce recidivism and lighten court caseloads. It shows that when the justice system treats youth as individuals with unique needs, everyone benefits.