Minneapolis has been selected to get extra help on its juvenile justice efforts from the National League of Cities.
The organization announced Friday that Minneapolis is one of six cities it has picked to offer technical assistance on juvenile-justice reform. The others are Philadelphia, Little Rock, Ark., New Orleans, Las Vegas and Gresham, Ore. The National League of Cities will set up a "Mayor's Institute on Children and Families" so leaders of the cities can share ideas. It will also send staff members to visit Minneapolis and develop an "action plan" for its juvenile justice work.
In a news release, the National League of Cities pointed to Minneapolis' efforts to "improve and align community-based alternatives to arrest and prosecution; reduce racial disparities at arrest; and improve the chances that young people will succeed after they leave the juvenile-justice system."
Mayor Betsy Hodges said the outside help will allow the city to be "better positioned to serve as a local leader for juvenile-justice reform."
