Post-Conviction Survivor Resource Center
Understanding all of the post-conviction processes in Minnesota can be daunting, but our friends at Healing Justice have put together an incredibly helpful guide, which you can access here:
Pardons and Commutations
As of August 2024, Minnesota Alliance on Crime is contracted with the State of Minnesota to provide advocacy and services to crime victims and their families in cases that are being heard by the Clemency Review Commission (CRC).
Gretchen Weinrich is the Post-Conviction Advocacy Manager. She can be reached by email at gretchen@mnallianceoncrime.org or by phone at 612-940-8090 x105.
The Clemency Review Commission’s website provides information about the clemency process for both applicants and victims/survivors. Victims and their families can be as involved as they want to be. They can request updates on the process at each stage, or opt out of future notifications. Our Post-Conviction Advocate is able to meet in person or virtually to discuss any matters that victims have questions about or to help prepare for the CRC hearing. The advocate may also be able to share information in the clemency application, including the applicant’s reasons for seeking clemency, their education and work history, family and community involvement, and other information provided by the applicant. We also aim to connect victims and their families with other resources to assist in a broad array of impact areas.
MAC staff are also collaborating with government agencies, member organizations and our sibling coalitions on many other post-conviction initiatives and issues including the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act, passed by the MN Legislature in 2023. More information about MRRA can be found at https://engage.doc.mn.gov/minnesota-rehabilitation-and-reinvestment-act.
Other reforms and initiatives that MAC is tracking and studying include
- MN Attorney General’s Conviction Review Unit (https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/CRU/)
- MN Department of Corrections Supervised Release Board (https://mn.gov/doc/about/supervised-release-board/)
- Community Supervision Advisory Committee (https://mn.gov/doc/about/legislative-info/community-supervision-advisory-committee/)
- Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit (https://www.hennepinattorney.org/en/news/news/2024/July/conviction-integrity-unit)
Post-Conviction Victim Notification
A number of avenues for post-conviction relief have been created since 2023, and with those changes comes an increased need to victim notification, particularly after long periods without any victim contact. MAC has created a tip sheet for recording, maintaining, and searching for victim contact information.
