From Vera:
Jurisdictions across the country are exploring a better path to safety. Far too many people are incarcerated and confined inside U.S. jails and prisons. Research has shown that relying on tools of arrest, prosecution, and incarceration hasn’t made us safer and harms communities. Racial and gender disparities persist, particularly among Black communities and other communities of color. For example, Black people make up 38 percent of the incarcerated population despite representing only 12 percent of people who live in the United States. And although the numbers are declining, Black women and other women of color continue to be disproportionately represented inside U.S. jails and prisons. Instead of perpetuating this cycle, prosecutors and police are adopting diversion programs as an alternative approach to address community safety and keep people out of the criminal legal system.
Diversion is a broad term referring to “exit ramps” that move people away from the criminal legal system, offering an alternative to arrest, prosecution, and a life behind bars. Although incarceration was historically believed to improve public safety, research suggests that it is ineffective in doing so and has a minimal impact, if any, on reducing crime. Instead, diversion programs target the underlying problems that led to the criminalized behavior in the first place. By addressing the root causes of community instability—challenges such as food and housing insecurity, joblessness, lack of educational resources, and unmet mental health needs—diversion programs not only help improve long-term community safety and reduce crime but have also proven to be cost-efficient.
How does diversion work?
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to diversion. Most diversion programs aim to minimize contact with the criminal legal system and shift those involved away from arrest, prosecution, and incarceration. Instead of expanding the criminal legal system’s reach, diversion programs minimize contact while often letting participants remain in their communities. Programs operate across the country at various stages and decision points throughout the criminal legal system; varying in form, target population, desired outcomes, eligibility requirements, and in which organization or entity serves as facilitator. Continue reading >>>
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