All righty.

Welcome to the Ramsey County Board Workshop.

Today's workshop topic is the Ramsey County Judges Women's Group.

Curtis reminder that this board workshop is recorded and is live streamed on Zoom webinar.

There will be no votes taken during this workshop.

We'll start with introductions of commissioners and presenters around the table, and then we'll move to the rest of the room.

So I am part of Jevon Sink, County Commissioner for District One.

And I'm Mary Joe Maguire, Commissioner District 2, and in honor of the Chinese Lunar New Year, there's some chocolates back here.

Yes.

Britain Mulray and Ramsey County Commissioner District 4.

Langbacker County Manager.

Sarah Grewing, uh Chief Judge of the Second Judicial District here in Ramsey County.

Judge Maria Mitchell, second judicial district.

Hi everyone.

Nicole Starr, Judge in the 2nd Judicial District.

Monica Long, Director of Community Fractions.

My Changshan, Commissioner District 6.

Kathy Murphy.

Anyone's employment relations?

Andrew Greenley, W Chief Staff.

Alicia, and I'm here by Ken.

Brenda Roth, your hands, ET.

Valeria Jerusalem, Community Corrections.

Christy Hobbs, Planning Manager with the County Manager's Office.

Superintendent or Caesar Hi Liz Reese, Deputy Director of Field Services for Corrections.

Dave Rish, Deputy Director of Facilities.

Just the Postman, Assistant Superintendent of Jiggency.

Steve Morgan, Assistant Superintendent for Rams County Correct Forms.

We do excellent.

All righty.

The Ramsey County Judges Women's Group is a safe and sober space for justice or child protection involved women and their children.

Support group was inspired by a similar group for men in the community and has been meeting since 2018.

The group is stewarded by a number of volunteers and is primarily led and organized by a leadership circle that includes Judge Judges Brewing, Mitchell, and Starr, along with long-term group participants.

Recognizing the value of this supportive community space, Ramsey County Community Corrections Finances financially supports the operations of the group.

The judges, along with two leadership circle participants, are here today to share information with the board about the critical supports offered by this group to residents.

Thank you for being here today, and I will pass things over to Deputy County Manager Abdi to begin the conversation.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Commissioners, County Manager Becker.

My name is Nadir Abdi.

I'm the Deputy County Manager for the Health and Wellness Service Team.

Ramsey County Community Correction provides financial administrative support for the Judges Women's Group is one of the service area under my team.

I'm excited for the board to learn today more about this innovative community group, which is led uh by the judicial volunteers uh from the second judicial district.

Um the safety and justice service team serves as the primary county liaison with the Minnesota Second Judicial Branch serving Ramsey County.

My partner, Gloria Reyes, who's the uh Deputy County Manager of the Safety and Justice Service team is not able to join us here with us, but she's part of our justice transformation team.

Um I'm very excited.

I think you'll you'll learn a lot today about the work that is being uh done here.

And one of the things that I've always uh encountered is that this not this kind of work um doesn't happen without commitment and passion.

Um, and and those uh folks here with us today have both of those things, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn more about that and also to learn about um the folks that are gonna come up later uh on to talk uh more about this.

With that, I'll pass it to Director Long to kind of kick us off uh for this workshop this uh this afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Again, Monica Long, the director of Ramsey County Community Proud Director.

Um Ramsey County Community Correction.

Uh I'm very thankful to be here this afternoon with honorable Judge Mitchell, Honorable Judge Starr, and honorable Judge Gruing and Sister Felicia and Sister Brenda standing by the door.

The importance today is the educating knowledge that men and women have not always received the same or equal services while incarcerated or otherwise justice involved.

Justice involved women, women re-entering society after incarceration, they distinct challenges that are often exposed that often expose pre-existing vulnerabilities that may include challenges such as economic barriers enhanced by employment barriers, housing instability, secure and safe affordable housing is a primary challenge with many women returning to unstable environments that increase their risk for recidivism.

Family reunification and parenting.

Women are more likely to be primary caregivers.

And with incarceration, justice involved disrupts family bonds.

And women who have been incarcerated often face significant obstacle obstacles in regaining custody of their children.

Health and trauma, the high prevalence of mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and histories of experienced physical and sexual violence, often predate incarceration and require specialized gender responsive care and supporting ongoing recovery.