Diversion Programs Examples

Allegheny County, PA

Justice Related Diversion Services coordinates with Service Coordination Units and other agencies for individuals released from the Allegheny County Jail prior to, or at, the preliminary hearing. Service plans include housing, treatment services and relations with community supports and case management. In addition they provide referrals to Forensic Support Services or Mental Health Court for defendants whose charges are held for trial or waived to trial from their preliminary hearing. For more information, visit here.

Hamilton County, OH

The Pretrial Diversion program, established by the Prosecutor’s office, was created to provide defendants with little to no criminal background, who are charged with various misdemeanors, the opportunity to have their charges dismissed upon successful completion of the program. Types of diversion offered include drug and alcohol counseling, anger management classes and domestic violence counseling. For more information, visit here

The Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project

The Council of State Governments Justice Center implemented the Consensus Project to respond to defendants with mental illnesses who enter into the criminal justice system. This national effort was created to help policy makers, criminal justice and mental health professionals at the local, state and federal levels improve services and response to this population. For more information, visit here.

Tarrant County, TX

Tarrant County’s Mental Health Court Diversion Program was established in 2003 as one of the counties in the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Mental Health Courts Program. Tarrant County’s program is designed to divert pretrial post-booking mentally ill defendants away from the criminal justice system and into community based mental health treatment. For more information, visit here.

Summit County, OH

The Summit County Diversion Committee focuses on juvenile defendants charged with minor crimes. The Committee gives these juveniles the chance to avoid the court system by successfully participating in community service, victim restitution and other appropriate services. For more information, visit
Here.

Summit County, OH (Adult Diversion)

The Ohio Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence was established in May 2001. Their goal is to promote jail diversion alternatives for people with mental illness by offering a multitude of treatment options as well as finding ways to keep them in treatment. For more information, visit here.

Columbia, SC

Project CALM Jail Diversion Program serves adults facing non-violent misdemeanor charges with serious mental illness. The program offers intensive case management, assessment, therapy, medication monitoring, community treatment, integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment, gender-based services for women and more. Most defendants who participate in the diversion program have the opportunity to receive suspended sentences with the possibility of having the charges dismissed. For more information, visit here

King County, WA

The Drug Diversion Court Program aims to combine the resources of the criminal justice system, drug and alcohol treatment and other community service providers to encourage the substance-abusing offender to address his or her substance abuse problem. Upon successful completion of a three level program, defendants’ charges will be dismissed. For more information, visit here.

Pima County, AZ

The Adult Diversion Program is a 25 year old program created by the Attorney’s Office. It is targeted at first-time offenders to provide them with the opportunity of rehabilitation in lieu of prosecution. The program offers counseling and community services as well as training in parenting skills, job skills, and mental health issues. For more information, visit here.

Travis County, TX

The S.H.O.R.T. program focuses on defendants charged with felony possession of drugs. It is a year-long program aimed to help reduce the abuse of controlled substances and the impact of crime on the family, community and courts through outreach, treatment and case management. For more information, visit here.

Boulder County, CO 

The Teen Alcohol Board established Boulder County’s Alcohol Diversion Program in 1992. This educational intervention program is aimed at first-time defendants charged with underage alcohol possession/consumption. The defendants in the program are expected to complete an Alcohol Education Program within 90 days of being diverted. These programs are offered through either the Boulder County Health Department, or if the offender is a CU student, through the University of Colorado Wardenberg Student Health Center. For more information, visit here.

Jefferson & Gilpin Counties, CO

The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office serving Jefferson and Gilpin counties offers a Diversion Services Program. They provide alternatives to prosecution for non-violent criminal offenders. The Diversion Services Program offers adult diversion services, juvenile diversion services, a domestic violence misdemeanor program, victim services and community volunteers. For more information, visit here.

Fulton County, GA

The Mental Health Treatment Diversion Program was created collaboratively by the county jail, magistrates and state courts. The goals of the program are to reduce recidivism for the mentally ill, protect public safety, reconnect those mentally ill defendants to community based treatment and support services and maintain successful on-going treatment. For more information, visit here.

Jefferson County, KY

The DUI Diversion Program was developed to provide first-time DUI defendants with the opportunity to learn the dangers of drinking and driving and prevent recidivism. The program requires completion of two phases which include treatment such as drug/alcohol assessments, counseling, volunteer work, and a MADD candlelight vigil. Upon completion of the program, the charges will be dismissed and after two years, expunged. For more information, visit here

Maricopa County, AZ

In response to statistics showing drug treatment can reduce recidivism, the Maricopa County Attorney’s office created its Demand Reduction Program. This program focuses on a three-part approach to deal with drug addiction through enforcement, treatment and education. The county has both adult and juvenile specific programs. For adults, the county diverts first- or second-time drug offenders to its TASC (drug treatment) Program. The juvenile program puts a strong emphasis on parental involvement in its approach. For more information, visit here

Rice County, MN

The Rice County Adult Diversion Program is for first-time property offenders. Those eligible will be required to pay full victim restitution, participate in chemical dependency and psychological analysis, urinalysis, electronic alcohol monitoring, community work service, and/or education programs. The diversion occurs after a complaint is filed and before the entering of any plea. Upon successful completion of the diversion, charges will be dismissed. For more information, visit here

Allen County, OH

The Diversion Department resides in the Allen County Juvenile Court and is for first-time unruly or misdemeanor defendants. Services provided include intake, special referrals, meetings, family treatment groups, Project Intercept, alternative schooling, and court-ordered monitoring. The department’s goal is to divert children from the court system and instead treat with intervention. For more information, visit here

Lamoille County, VT

The Lamoille County Court Diversion Restorative Justice Programs Incorporated is a community-based agency geared to address unlawful behavior, support crime victims, and promote healthy families and communities. The LCCDRJP’s programs include Court Diversion, Teen Alcohol Safety, Pre-charge Intervention Project, as well as many others. For more information, visit here.