Re-Thinking Minnesota\u27s Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Violence Using a Prevention Lens

Sexual violence is one of the most difficult issues we face in the human condition. Even with the many strides that have occurred in recent years to support a victim-centered response, survivors who seek help from the legal, medical and mental health systems, among others still “may face disbelief, blame, and refusals of help instead of assistance.” It is a problem that demands a response from all levels of society. And yet this response is lacking. The key question we as a society confront is what changes will satisfactorily balance justice for victims with offender accountability, attempts at rehabilitation through treatment, and high community expectations about public safety? This article offers background on what the discussion about prevention of sexual violence can look like, a theoretical analysis of the policy conundrum facing our lawmakers and some examples of how prevention and intervention strategies can be put into practice in Minnesota law as advanced through MNCASA’s legislative agenda with the hope that a new direction can be charted toward the best possible public policy response for the state