Diversion programs can serve as an “off-ramp” from the harmful effects of the traditional criminal justice process and can offer benefits to both individuals accused of crime as well as to the broader public. Diversion programs can take many forms, such as parental diversion, mental health programs, and restorative justice.
This webinar discusses the benefits and strategies for diversion by examining one case study of an innovative diversion program implemented in Vermont. Last summer, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George and Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform (VCJR) pioneered Incentives for Success, an intensive 12-week incentive-based diversion program designed to assist people accused of repeated non-violent crimes who have significant substance use disorder. The program is the first of its kind in the country. With support from the Vera Institute of Justice Motion for Justice program, it follows an evidence-based contingency management model which helps individuals overcome substance use disorder by paying them to engage in treatment. Incentives for Success offers participants an opportunity to have their criminal case made inactive for 12 weeks while they receive financial and technical support applying for housing and substance use rehabilitation. In only a few short months, the pilot program has had a great deal of success.