A recent University of Michigan survey found that a majority of Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, and Prosecutors, support diversion programs offering defendants a second chance and saving departments money.
The Michigan Public Policy Survey found that 62% of police chiefs and 78% of sheriffs and prosecutors get it: they in believe programs that help defendants with mental health and substance abuse issues.
Diversion Programs offer an alternative path to the traditional criminal justice system, with some programs assisting participants in securing housing, finding treatment options, and overall, gaining access to resources that will help them succeed.
Like many things in criminal justice reform, the concept is not new; President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Crime Commission called for the creation of diversion programs that would address underlying issues plaguing society and leading to system-involvement, such as unemployment, poverty, and mental health issues.
One successful example is that of Seattle, Washington’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, focusing on addressing mental health and poverty-related criminal activity.
LEAD diverts individuals who are engaged in low-level drug crime, prostitution, and crimes of poverty away from the criminal legal system—bypassing prosecution and jail time—and connects them with intensive case managers who can provide crisis response, immediate psychosocial assessment, and long term wrap-around services including substance use disorder treatment and housing.
Though several Michigan counties offer alternative courts, other counties like Wayne County, offer qualifying individuals a chance to resolve their case without a criminal record.
It’s progress, but there is still significant work to do.
Read the article here.
