This collection provides information about options to create programs that divert individuals with substance use or mental health conditions from the justice system to treatment. Resources featured in this collection include: An overview of principles from the Police Treatment and Community Collaborative to guide pre-arrest diversion programs A slide-deck presentation from the Center for Health & Justice at Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities that provides more details on pre-arrest diversion programs A link to the website for the Police Treatment and Community Collaborative A resource guide from the SAFE Project and Police Treatment and Community Collaborative for pre-arrest diversion programs A report reviewing how state policies, laws and regulations affect the ability of law enforcement and community organizations to adopt pre-arrest diversion and crisis response initiatives Model legislation for creating pre-arrest diversion programs In addition, the collection contains resources and links to websites for the following specific pre-diversion programs: Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiatives (PAARI) – With PAARI initiatives, law enforcement agencies create non-arrest pathways to substance use disorder treatment and recovery: A link to the PAARI website; PAARI works with over 400 police departments in 32 states An evaluation of Arizona’s Angel Initiative which was piloted in Maricopa County…

Those with untreated substance use disorder (SUD) are often involved with the criminal justice system during the course of addiction and continue to experience negative outcomes following arrest and incarceration. Law enforcement-led pre-arrest diversion ...

Learn about the pre-arrest diversion program we have developed, using our expertise in policing research, public health, and program design.

Communities across the country have implemented deflection and pre-arrest diversion (DPAD) initiatives to link people who use drugs to evidence-based care and services instead of incarceration.

Background Despite evidence that treatment reduces addiction-related harms, including crime and overdose, only a minority of addiction-affected individuals receive it. Linking individuals who committed an addiction-related crime to addiction treatment could improve outcomes. Methods The aim of this city-wide, pre-arrest diversion program, Madison Addiction Recovery Initiative (MARI) is to reduce crime and improve health (i.e., reduce the overdose deaths) among adults who committed a minor, non-violent, drug use-related offense by offering them a referral to treatment in lieu of arrest and prosecution of criminal charges. This manuscript outlines the protocol and methods for the MARI program development and implementation. MARI requires its participants to engage in the recommended treatment, without reoffending, during the six-month program, after which the initial criminal charges are “voided” by the law enforcement agency. The project, implemented in a mid-size U.S. city, has involved numerous partners, including law enforcement, criminal justice, public health, and academia. It includes training of the police officer workforce and collaboration with clinical partners for treatment need assessment, treatment placement, and peer support. Program evaluation includes formative, process, outcome (participant-level) and exploratory impact (community-level) assessments. For outcome evaluation, we will compare crime (primary outcome), overdose-related offenses, and incarceration-related data 12 months before and 12 months after the index crime between participants who completed (Group 1), started but not completed (Group 2), and were offered but did not start (Group 3) the program, and adults who would have been eligible should MARI existed (Historical Comparison, Group 4). Clinical characteristics will be compared at baseline between Groups 1–2, and pre-post the program within Group 1. Participant baseline data will be assessed as potential covariates. Surveys of police officers and program completers, and community-level indicators of crime and overdose pre- versus post-program will provide additional data on the program impact. Discussion By offering addiction treatment in lieu of arrest and prosecution of criminal charges, this pre-arrest diversion program has the potential to disrupt the cycle of crime, reduce the likelihood of future offenses, and promote public health and safety.

Connecting individuals to substance use disorder and/or mental health treatment as an alternative to arrest.

As opioid addiction has risen in recent years, racial disparities in drug arrests may be changing in their size and sources. Neighborhood conditions, like econo...

Journal of Experimental Criminology - Our paper presents the results of a meta-analytical review of street level drug law enforcement. We conducted a series of meta-analyses to compare and contrast...

Rising rates of opioid use disorder, overdoses, and opioid-related criminal offenses have prompted U.S. law enforcement agencies to adopt alternatives to arrest...