North Dakota – Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden testified before the House Judiciary Committee in support of three bills aimed at supporting the recovery and reentry of incarcerated individuals while reducing recidivism rates.
Strinden endorsed House Bills 1425, 1417, and 1549, which were developed following a Reentry Study Work Group’s review of North Dakota’s criminal justice system. The group included legislators, officials from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Health and Human Services, court system representatives, and reentry program experts.
She emphasized North Dakota’s progress in criminal justice reform and noted that drug and alcohol offenses remain leading factors in increasing prison admissions.
The proposed bills aim to expand deflection and diversion practices, reduce barriers to reentry, promote culturally responsive programming, and enhance cross-agency collaboration for medical coverage and state identification.
“Our goal is to prepare those leaving the justice system to rejoin the workforce, become our neighbors, attend our churches, and make our state better,” Strinden said.
