In recent years, hate crimes have been on the rise and have presented
a particularly perplexing problem for schools and students. In response
to the increase, a bill provide for penalty enhancements for bias motivated
offenses was introduced in the 1997 Minnesota legislative session.
Should the penalty for committing a crime be higher when the crime is motivated
by hatred toward a person because of his or her race, religion, national
origin, etc.? Known as bias-motivated offenses, this was the question
considered by the student delegates at the 1997 Youth Summit.
The 1997 Minnesota Youth Summit on Violence Prevention was funded in
part from the Department of Justice, Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Minnesota
4-H Foundation, Minnesota Lawyer's Mutual Insurance and the Minnesota
Medical Association.
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