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SF5215 • 2026
Swift and Certain Sanctions Act
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
Swift and Certain Sanctions Act
Introduction and first reading
Swift and Certain Sanctions Act
A bill for an act relating to corrections; requiring the commissioner of corrections to establish a graduated sanctions grid for technical violations of probation, parole, and supervised release; mandating use of the graduated sanctions grid; limiting revocations for technical violations; requiring a report; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 244. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: Section 1. new text begin [244.52] SHORT TITLE. new text end new text begin Sections 244.52 to 244.57 may be cited as the "Swift and Certain Sanctions Act." new text end Sec. 2. new text begin [244.53] DEFINITIONS. new text end new text begin (a) For purposes of sections 244.54 to 244.57, the following terms have the meanings given. new text end new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of corrections. new text end new text begin (c) "Community supervision agencies" means any state, county, or local department, agency, or authority responsible for supervising individuals under court-ordered community supervision, including probation, parole, supervised release, or other post-custody oversight. new text end new text begin (d) "Noncustodial sanction" means a sanction that does not involve confinement in a jail or prison. new text end new text begin (e) "Technical violation" means a violation of a condition of probation, parole, or supervised release that does not constitute a new criminal offense and does not involve conduct that presents an identifiable and immediate threat to public safety. new text end new text begin (f) "Validated risk assessment" means an assessment instrument demonstrated by scientific research to be accurate and reliable in assessing the risks and needs of the specific population on which the assessment was validated. new text end Sec. 3. new text begin [244.54] GRADUATED SANCTIONS GRID; CREATION. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Creation. new text end new text begin By February 1, 2027, the commissioner of corrections must establish and maintain a statewide graduated sanctions grid governing responses to technical violations of probation, parole, and supervised release. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Consultation. new text end new text begin In developing the grid, the commissioner must consult with: new text end new text begin (1) the Sentencing Guidelines Commission; new text end new text begin (2) community supervision agencies; new text end new text begin (3) the judicial branch; and new text end new text begin (4) justice research entities with expertise in evidence-based supervision practices. new text end new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin General requirements. new text end new text begin The graduated sanctions grid must: new text end new text begin (1) classify technical violations into severity levels according to section 244.55; new text end new text begin (2) incorporate validated risk assessment results; new text end new text begin (3) provide presumptive and proportional sanctions that escalate with repeated violations; and new text end new text begin (4) prioritize noncustodial sanctions unless clearly insufficient to achieve compliance. new text end Sec. 4. new text begin [244.55] GRADUATED SANCTIONS GRID STRUCTURE; MANDATORY USE. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Structure. new text end new text begin (a) The graduated sanctions grid must be organized by: new text end new text begin (1) violation levels on the vertical axis ranging from a first minor violation through a third minor violation and a first major violation through a third major violation; new text end new text begin (2) the following risk levels on the horizontal axis: new text end new text begin (i) very high; new text end new text begin (ii) high; new text end new text begin (iii) moderate; new text end new text begin (iv) low; and new text end new text begin (v) administrative; and new text end new text begin (3) sanction response ranges that correspond to an appropriate violation and risk level. new text end new text begin (b) The sanction response ranges are: new text end new text begin (1) range 1, a verbal or written warning, increased reporting, drug testing, and coaching; new text end new text begin (2) range 2, electronic monitoring, increased treatment, and a curfew for up to 60 days; new text end new text begin (3) range 3, a curfew of up to 120 days and 30 to 40 hours of community service; and new text end new text begin (4) range 4, a curfew of up to 180 days, additional community service, additional jail time, and revocation referral. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Mandatory use. new text end new text begin (a) Beginning April 1, 2027, when responding to a technical violation, a supervising authority or court must apply the graduated sanctions grid. A departure from the presumptive sanction in the grid must only occur upon written findings by the supervising authority or court that: new text end new text begin (1) the presumptive sanction is insufficient to address continued noncompliance; or new text end new text begin (2) the violation presents an identifiable and immediate risk to public safety. new text end new text begin (b) There is a rebuttable presumption that incarceration is not an appropriate response to a technical violation. new text end new text begin (c) All sanctions imposed for technical violations must be documented and tracked by the supervising authority for purposes of progressive responses. new text end Sec. 5. new text begin [244.56] LIMITS ON REVOCATION. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Exhaustion requirement. new text end new text begin Probation, parole, or supervised release must not be revoked for a technical violation unless the supervising authority has: new text end new text begin (1) applied graduated sanctions consistent with the grid; and new text end new text begin (2) documented that noncustodial sanctions have been exhausted or proven ineffective. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Threshold for revocation. new text end new text begin Revocation for a technical violation may only be imposed after three or more prior technical violations have occurred, unless the court finds that the violation presents an immediate and substantial threat to public safety. new text end Sec. 6. new text begin [244.57] DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING. new text end new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Data collection. new text end new text begin The commissioner must collect data on: new text end new text begin (1) technical violations; new text end new text begin (2) sanctions imposed under the grid; new text end new text begin (3) the use of custodial sanctions; new text end new text begin (4) revocations; and new text end new text begin (5) disparities by race, ethnicity, and geography. new text end new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Annual report. new text end new text begin The commissioner must submit an annual report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over public safety summarizing implementation of the graduated sanctions grid and outcomes resulting from use of the graduated sanctions grid. new text end