Comprehensive Review

 

The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines commission (MSGC), established in 1978, is responsible under Minn. Stat. § 244.09 for developing sentencing guidelines that ensure uniformity, rationality, proportionality, and predictability in felony sentencing – with the primary consideration being public safety. In 2023, the commission launched a comprehensive review of the guidelines — something that has not been done since its inception more than four decades ago. An initial planning framework outlined a phased, multi-year approach for conducting the review. This included separate but coordinated tracks for research, internal commission deliberation, and stakeholder engagement, with the expectation that additional development and refinement would occur over the course of several years. However, in 2024, following a state budget forecast projecting long-term structural imbalances in public spending, the commission was advised that continued funding for the comprehensive review could not be guaranteed. As a result, the commission decided to complete the comprehensive review within the 2025 calendar year, using existing resources. This decision altered the original scope and timelines of the project and compressed the commission's work.

 

This review responds to growing concerns about clarity, fairness, and the alignment of sentencing practices with evolving policy priorities and community expectations.