Prosecutorial diversion programs can help reduce the burden on the court system, reducing repeated cycling of individuals through the system, connecting people to health and social services, reserving prosecutorial resources for more serious cases, or saving costs. 

In such programs, prosecution or sentencing can be deferred while participants engage in supervised programming, and charges are dropped when it is completed successfully. 

By intervening early, caseloads and jail days can be reduced, criminal records can be prevented, and access to services that put men and women on the path to health and stability can be accelerated. Diversion can prevent the costs and harmful collateral consequences—to the justice system, the community, and the individual—of repeated arrests, convictions, and incarcerations.

Working with local jurisdictions within the contexts of their state’s laws and prosecutorial frameworks, CHJ supports prosecutorial diversion by offering collaborative strategies based on research, science, evidence-based practices, and equity.