The Real Justice PAC proudly endorses criminal justice reform advocate Mark Haase to be the next County Attorney of Hennepin County, Minnesota. Mark Haase co-founded the Second Chance Coalition, worked for years at the Council on Crime and Justice, led bipartisan efforts to reform drug sentencing and juvenile records laws, worked to restore voting rights for former offenders, and was a leader on the Ban the Box campaign.

The incumbent County Attorney, Mike Freeman, hasn’t had a challenger in 12 years. In the 1990’s he defended crack cocaine sentencing laws, which helped lead to Hennepin County having some of the highest racial disparities in the country. In his 20 years in office since then, he’s continued to have a narrow focus on punishment and over-charging whatever cases are sent by law enforcement, and has failed to provide any significant leadership on justice reform or taken any responsibility for the problems in Hennepin County’s justice system.

“We desperately need justice reform in Hennepin County,” said Shaun King, Co-Founder of The Real Justice PAC. “Mark Haase is one of the strongest leaders for justice in the country. Already, he’s led the charge to Ban the Box, restore voting rights for former offenders, and change drug sentencing  and juvenile records laws. If elected as County Attorney, Mark Haase will transform Hennepin County’s justice system, and serve as a leading example for prosecutors across the country.”

Additionally, Mark Haase has already laid out a number of promising policy reforms, including the creation of an “integrity review unit,” which would serve to review claims of innocence, excessively punitive decisions, and police misconduct.

As an proven champion for justice, Mark Haase will bring the change and progress Hennepin County deserves.