Page 13 - Human Rights Program 2025 Annual Report

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SYMPOSIUM SPOTLIGHTS CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN CRIMINAL
JUSTICE PROCESSES
In April, our collaborative team
presented our policy ideas to a group
of more than 160 campus and
community leaders, legal
professionals, and people with lived
experience. We introduced them
through panel presentations,
examined them alongside subject
matter experts, and workshopped
them with symposium attendees. The
result was two promising legal system
changes that can be implemented in
Minnesota: creating programs for
parents within existing Minnesota
special courts; and raising awareness
about the impact on children when
judges make decisions about pre-trial
detention and bail.
Dr. Ebony Ruhland, associate professor at the Rutgers
University School of Criminal Justice, delivered the keynote
address highlighting the impact of incarceration on families.
In 2025-2026, we will develop a
strategy to translate these ideas into
action. Such an extensive project would
not be possible without the grassroots
efforts of our campus-community team.
By considering the voices and
experiences of the most vulnerable
among us, we learn how to construct
fairer and more holistically-grounded
criminal legal processes that not only
recognize children’s rights but prioritize
them. To learn more, or invest in the
next phase of our work, contact the
Human Rights Program.
A panel discusses the impacts of
parental incarceration on children.