The victim of a violent carjacking called the letter she received in the mail a slap in the face. The latest episode of Liz Collin Reports digs into the Minnesota program that could potentially free her attacker early and the work underway at the Capitol this session to stop it.
Becky didn’t want us to use her last name in this story. She first met Liz Collin a few years ago after she was violently carjacked in a Target parking lot in Burnsville in August 2020.
“It was 9:30 in the morning. I was going to get some groceries … and I was stepping out of my car and I had another appointment to get to. So I was just quickly checking my phone to see what time it was. Out of nowhere a person came right up to me and held a gun right between my eyes to my head and took my car and assaulted me,” Becky said.
Dustin Michael McLeod was a repeat offender. He was charged with aggravated first-degree robbery. In addition to stealing Becky’s car, he stole her credit cards and used them at stores across the metro, according to court documents. He was sentenced to more than six years in prison in January 2022.
A recent letter in the mail from the Department of Corrections (DOC) caught Becky’s attention.
Becky read a few sentences aloud:
“It says the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act, the MRRA, is a new law that will be implemented in 2025. MRRA allows for individuals incarcerated in Minnesota DOC prison facilities to earn a reduction in the time served and allows individuals on supervision to earn abatement of their supervision, meaning moving off active supervision,” Becky read.
The MRRA was passed in 2023. It moves the corrections system away from “how much time people spend in prison to how people spend that time.” It offers incentives for those who participate in rehabilitation programs, which could lead to early release. The letter states the MRRA approach is available to individuals with a non-life sentence and with more than a year of time to serve.
“I felt like it was a slap in the face being a victim of a violent crime. I’m sick to my stomach and just totally appalled that this is a thing,” Becky said.
She also explained how it took a week to get a call back when she reached out to the number listed on the letter.
“Basically, my notes was they just have to apply for it and ability to earn it and basically it sounded like it’s not a big deal and I should not be concerned,” said Becky, which is why she can’t understand why such a letter would go out at all.
The Department of Corrections offered the following statement to Alpha News:
“The letter from the Department of Corrections’ Victims Services Unit was sent to all victims where the incarcerated person meets the statutory minimum requirements for the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act (MRRA).
The letter is not an indication that an incarcerated person will be released. The DOC is currently engaged in development, planning, and implementation work. MRRA requires people to earn early release through risk reduction program completion and demonstrated behavior change. Individuals go through an extensive review process that also includes the opportunity for victims to provide input. The DOC’s Victims Services Unit encourages all crime victims to register with Minnesota’s Haven Notification System so they can be notified of custody status changes and victim input opportunities in cases where they have been a victim.”
McLeod is currently scheduled to be out on supervised release in late July after serving about 3.5 years in prison. He received credit for time served of 234 days at sentencing. Even without the MRRA, offenders are only required to serve two-thirds of their sentences incarcerated in Minnesota. As of now, McLeod is scheduled to be on supervised release until August 2027, according to DOC records.
During the current legislative session, Minnesota Republicans have been working to fix the MRRA, which they’ve called a “Get Out of Jail Free” program. According to Republican legislators, 92% of Minnesota’s prisoners could be eligible for early release.
Yet, the bottom of the letter Becky received states: “Contributing to a safer Minnesota.”
Becky said, “I don’t think the state’s doing enough to protect us, you know, people who are affected by violent crime. Again, it’s another slap in the face, and I really don’t think the state is honestly doing enough to protect us victims. It seems like criminals are coddled and there’s no consequences for their crime.”
“Emotionally, I suffer from PTSD now, anxiety, panic attacks, chronic insomnia, and then just other mental health issues, and then as well as physical health issues as well. I’m just constantly on high alert and people don’t realize until it happens to them, they have no idea,” Becky added.
Liz Collin
Liz Collin is a multi-Emmy-Award-winning investigative reporter, news anchor, and producer who cares about Minnesota. She is the producer of The Fall of Minneapolis and Minnesota v We the People documentary films, and author of the Amazon best-selling book, They’re Lying: The Media, the Left, and The Death of George Floyd. Her work has prompted important state laws. Yet perhaps most of all, Liz has been giving a voice to the truth—and helping others tell their stories—for more than 20 years.
