North Dakota – Governor Kelly Armstrong has signed a package of three key bills aimed at improving reentry practices for individuals transitioning from prison or jail back into society. The new laws, introduced by state legislators, focus on interrupting crime, promoting recovery, and ensuring a successful reintegration process for people leaving correctional facilities. This legislative action is part of the ongoing efforts to make North Dakota safer and reduce recidivism.

“As I said during my first State of the State address in January, we can’t build our way out of the prison overcrowding problem in North Dakota. We need to be smart on crime, not soft on crime,” said Gov. Armstrong. “We appreciate the Legislature and the many partners involved in developing this legislation for providing North Dakotans with a practical approach to public safety that centers on accountability, recovery, and reentry.”

The three bills, House Bills 1425, 1417, and 1549, were introduced by Rep. Larry Klemin and co-sponsored by several state lawmakers, including Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, Rep. Greg Stemen, Sen. Kyle Davison, and Sen. Diane Larson. The bills gained widespread support in both chambers of the Legislature for their multi-faceted approach to improving public safety. Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden and state Commissioner of Recovery and Reentry Jonathan Holth also testified in favor of the bills.

Rep. Larry Klemin, one of the primary sponsors, emphasized the broad backing the legislation received, saying, “Given the volume of support from prosecutors, public safety officers, community partners, and several state agencies throughout the legislative process, it’s clear that these policies move our criminal justice system in the right direction.”

The bills stemmed from a comprehensive, year-long initiative led by the North Dakota Justice Reinvestment Initiative Reentry Study Work Group. This group, composed of 15 experienced legislators, leaders from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR), the Department of Health and Human Services, court system officials, county jail experts, and community partners, spent the interim session reviewing criminal justice data and reentry services. The group’s findings culminated in the policies included in the three bills.

These bills address various points of the criminal justice system and include several key initiatives to support successful reentry. Key components include:

  • HB 1425: Establishes a pilot program in three counties to support State’s Attorney’s offices in operating diversion programs. The program offers supervision services to ensure participants complete program requirements, introduces deflection practices to redirect individuals needing services to appropriate care settings rather than jail, and mandates an updated evaluation of the DOCR’s Pretrial Services Program.

  • HB 1417: Updates and adds key criminal justice definitions to improve cross-system collaboration and data collection practices. The bill also eliminates certain criminal justice fees that have limited returns on investment and proposes further examination of other fees within the system.

  • HB 1549: Focuses on better preparing individuals leaving jails and prisons for a successful return to their communities. The bill supports expanding evidence-based programming in local jails, improving collaboration between agencies, and streamlining processes to provide identification and Medicaid access for people exiting correctional facilities. It also includes provisions for continued study, including the creation of a task force to address housing barriers, a review of criminal justice data collection practices, and an examination of record sealing and expungement.

These measures reflect the state’s commitment to using data-driven approaches and collaborative efforts to improve the criminal justice system. Rep. Karla Rose Hanson commented, “This legislation is another example of our state’s longtime commitment to using data, research, and collaboration to make meaningful changes to improve the lives of all North Dakotans.”

By focusing on recovery and reentry, these reforms aim to reduce recidivism, improve public safety, and help individuals successfully transition from incarceration to productive, stable lives in their communities.