Diversion programs are key policy levers prosecutors can use to minimize traditional criminal legal system contact. Diversion strikes a balance between maintaining public safety, preserving scarce resources, and reducing future system involvement. Our guide provides an overview of the key data elements, study designs, and questions agencies seeking to assess and document program efficacy should consider.
To effectively address the problem of mass incarceration, prosecutors must adopt ways to respond to cases involving violence that don’t rely on jails and prisons. The "Prosecutors and Responses to Crimes of Violence: Notes from the Field" document offers in-depth case study findings and is intended as a tool for jurisdictions looking to expand alternative approaches to crimes of violence.