1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to corrections; providing for county grants for jail diversion programs;
1.3 appropriating money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 641.155,
1.4 subdivisions 2, 3, by adding a subdivision.
1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 641.155, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.7 Subd. 2.Discharge plans for people with serious and persistent mental illnesses. A
1.8 person with a serious and persistent mental illness, as defined in section 245.462, subdivision
1.9 20, paragraph (c), who has been convicted and sentenced to serve three or more months and
1.10 is being released from a county jail or county regional jail shall be referred to the appropriate
1.11 staff in the county human services department at least 60 days before being released. The
1.12 county human services department must complete a discharge plan must be completed with
1.13 the prisoner no less than 14 days before release that and may include:
1.14 (1) providing assistance in filling out an application for medical assistance or
1.15 MinnesotaCare;
1.16 (2) making a referral for case management as outlined under section 245.467, subdivision
1.17 4;
1.18 (3) providing assistance in obtaining a state photo identification;
1.19 (4) securing a timely appointment with a psychiatrist or other appropriate community
1.20 mental health providers; and
1.21 (5) providing prescriptions for a 30-day supply of all necessary medications.
2.1 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 641.155, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
2.2 Subd. 3.Reentry coordination Jail diversion programs. A county may establish a
2.3 program to divert people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders from arrest or
2.4 incarceration and to provide services and assist prisoners with reentering the community.
2.5 Reentry Services may include but are not limited to:
2.6 (1) providing assistance in meeting the basic needs of the prisoner immediately after
2.7 release, including but not limited to provisions for transportation, clothing, food, and shelter;
2.8 (2) providing assistance in filling out an application for medical assistance or
2.9 MinnesotaCare;
2.10 (3) providing assistance in obtaining a state photo identification;
2.11 (4) providing assistance in obtaining prescriptions for all necessary medications;
2.12 (5) coordinating services with the local county services agency or the social services
2.13 agency in the county where the prisoner is a resident; and
2.14 (6) coordinating services with a community mental health or substance use disorder
2.15 provider.; and
2.16 (7) providing assistance in obtaining officer-involved community-based care coordination
2.17 under section 256B.0625, subdivision 56a.
2.18 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 641.155, is amended by adding a subdivision to
2.19 read:
2.20 Subd. 4.Jail diversion grant program. (a) The commissioner of corrections, in
2.21 consultation with the commissioner of human services and counties, shall create a grant
2.22 program for counties to establish and maintain jail diversion programs. Grant money may
2.23 be used to provide the services in subdivision 3, discharge planning, and for staff time,
2.24 including hiring new staff.
2.25 (b) The commissioner shall solicit counties interested in creating a jail diversion program
2.26 and develop a formula to equitably distribute grant money. The commissioner of corrections
2.27 may prioritize grant money for counties that develop partnerships with:
2.28 (1) mobile crisis teams under section 256B.0624; or
2.29 (2) local community providers for mental health services in jail.
2.30 (c) Grantees shall provide data required by the commissioner to the commissioner for
2.31 the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of the jail diversion grant program. Qualitative
3.1 data may also be collected to demonstrate outcomes. The commissioner must consult with
3.2 grantees to develop ongoing outcome measures for program capacity and performance. The
3.3 commissioner must make information on outcome measures for the program available to
3.4 the public and update the information annually.
3.5 Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION.
3.6 $....... in fiscal year 2026 and $....... in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated to the
3.7 commissioner of corrections for the jail diversion grant program. The base for this
3.8 appropriation is $....... in fiscal year 2028 and each year thereafter.
