MPR: A Quiet Violence

A Tale of 10 Counties
See a comparison of several Minnesota counties and find out whether perception is reality.

A Mainstreet Special
On Friday April 28, Mainstreet radio presents a two-hour broadcast from the Rush City prison on rural crime. We'll look at Minnesota's prison system and what happens to its inmates when they're released. Read more.

Rural Poll
An extensive poll of rural Minnesotans reveals their perceptions vs. their reality. It also reveals a vast difference in the way whites and members of minority groups feel they are treated by law enforcement authorities.
See the poll.

Commentaries
Victims, perpetrators and those in between have differing views of crime in rural Minnesota.

Resources
A collection of links and resources. Add yours.

Law enforcement officials have been claiming victory over violent urban crime, but 44 percent of rural Minnesotans think crime in their neighborhood is increasing. Is urban crime moving to rural Minnesota, or has it been there all along? A Quiet Violence examines the effects of rural crime.

S T O R I E S

A Rural Crime Primer
Violent crime rates are falling in big cities across the country, but some experts say urban crime is quietly moving to rural areas. Police fear the spread of drugs will bring a corresponding increase in violent crime.
Read | Listen

Kids in Prison Young and Bad
The century-old juvenile-court system was created allowing states to control delinquent teens. Each state takes a different approach. Some focus on boot camps; others are using a form of community intervention.
Read | Listen | Slideshow (RealPlayer 7)

Jessica Swanson sculpture A Town's Outrage
Many of the violent crimes that captivated Minnesota in the past two years happened in small towns or rural areas. Moose Lake, Hallock, Waseca and Cannon Falls now struggle to portray their communities as more than backdrops to senseless murders.
Read | Listen

A Small Town Solution
In 1991, Grand Rapids was rocked by the violent abduction and murder of a popular teenage girl. Her death led experts to identify the factors that lead a person to violence, and explore what could be done to stop it.
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Media: The Whole Story?
Small-town journalists wrestle with how to report news that people don't want to hear.
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Nowhere to Hide
In small towns, a sex offender's best chance at a normal life, is a transparent life. That's something that's nearly impossible in rural Minnesota.
Read | Listen

Made possible by a grant from the Blandin Foundation

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