INTRO:
As many of you might not know, for the past 10 weeks I have had the privilege of interning at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office under the supervisor of ADA Derick Riker in the Diversion’s Court Division. Lack of knowledge/awareness as well as misconceptions that surround the subject of diversions court is what prompted me to do my speech today. Also, I felt it was important for all of us today as we become active members of society and in the government to know that there is more out there then just people going to jail for crimes or that rehabilitation isn’t just “change” it is working to restore. I constructed my speech in an effort to persuade you all to stand behind the importance of diversions court and rehabilitations programs due to their strong success rate and their importance for the criminal justice system as a whole.
Here is a preview of all we are going to be covering today. First we will talk about rehabilitation and diversion and their relation to the criminal justice system. Once we have laid a foundation, we will talk about the criticisms found on survey’s as well as generally surrounding the topic. Then finally we will talk about the 4 major benefits of Diversion Courts, which are that they save tax dollars, lead to improved lives for offenders, provide service to the community and finally reduce recidivism.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM???
Now you are probably wondering what these definitions have to do in relation to diversion court and rehabilitation programs. Diversion in terms of criminal justice refers to “any of a variety of programs that implement strategies seeking to avoid the formal processing of an offender by the criminal justice system” according to Britannica.com. This definition does, however, refer to diversion programs as a whole. On a more case by case level, diversion relates to individuals who are accused of committing a crime and then are placed into a treatment or rehabilitation programs as an alternative to typical criminal prosecution and/or imprisonment. They are granted access to the program based on strict guidelines, as this opportunity is one that really works to get someone’ life restored and back on track.
CRITICISMS:
Before I dive into all the benefits, it is only fair to address some of the criticisms, or cons, that were brought up not only in the survey but on the topic in general. Diversion programs are typically criticized for being “too lenient” because offenders avoid hard prison time in exchange for other actions, such as community service, outreach programs or fines. It is those people that feel that this type of punishment is not harsh enough, and so in turn the offender learns nothing from their actions. Another criticism is that diversion favors the wants or needs of the offender over those of the victim or community – neglecting the hardship faced by the victim. In addition, diversion is also criticized because many believe that the programs increase recidivism rates or do nothing for them, as offenders “learn” that they can commit their crimes and get away without hard time. However, contrary to all of these critics, successful diversion programs actually save tax dollars, improve life circumstances for offenders, reduces recidivism and provide services to the community.
SAVES TAX DOLLARS:
First benefit: diversion programs are extremely constructive due to the fact that they save tax payers dollars. The cost of a trial is INCREDIBLY expensive, and the United States spends roughly $87 billions dollars a year on the criminal justice system, with the majority of money going toward prisons. By avoiding trials and instead diverting these offenders into programs, we are ultimately saving the state millions upon millions of dollars by not putting them in prisons. Don’t believe me? In just 1 calendar year the Philadelphia Drug Treatment Court program (which is 1 of the over 15 programs the Philadelphia DA’s Office offers) saved over $1.5 million dollars in prison costs due to the diversion of individuals away from hard prison time and into the effective treatment plans.
Lead to Improved Lives for Offenders:
Second Benefit: Diversion Court is works diligently to have they programs lead to improved lives for offenders. A key example of this is in the Philadelphia program Project Dawn – a unique program that seeks to help non-violent offending women who have open prostitution cases and a history of prostitution convictions. The program works to provide drug treatment as well as physical, sexual and emotional trauma counseling for the abuse these women have suffered as it often dates back to adolescence. The program even takes it one step further to specialize treatment based upon the results of a Forensic Intensive Recovery (FIR) evaluation. Another example come from Veteran’s Court as offenders who qualify and enter the program are a “Mentor” from the VA to guide them through the entire process and provide assistance as well as a helping hand as they work to resolve their issues.
PROVIDES SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY:
Diversion programs have a significant impact on the community, as in almost all cases offenders are required to complete some extensive amount of community service. In 2016, AMP participants completed over 18,000 hours of community service at Philadelphia non-profits, churches and recreation centers. The Choice is Yours graduates were honored with the JEVS Human Services “Strictly Business” Award in 2013 and 2015 for their extensive contributions to the community. Finally, a Veterans Court graduate was a featured speaker at a recent National Veterans Court Convention for the community service work he accomplished. These former offenders not only did the community service but found a way to make a lasting impact and give back to the community they victimized.
REDUCES RECIDIVISM:
Finally, one of the main benefits of diversion and rehabilitation program is the extremely low recidivism rates coming out of these programs. Using Philadelphia as an example, during 2016 and 2015, roughly 40% of all misdemeanor cases and roughly 10% of all felony cases were sent to a diversion program. Within those The Choice is Yours had a one-year recidivism rate of less than 13%. Defendants who reject TCY have a 91% conviction rate and an even higher overall recidivism rate. For more than 20 years Philadelphia Treatment Court graduates have maintained a less than 15% one-year post graduation recidivism rate and more specifically DUI Treatment Court has a recidivism of only 16% out of the 3,000 graduates.
CONCLUSION:
To recap, we have covered rehabilitation and diversion’s meaning in the criminal justice system, the criticisms found on survey’s and then finally 4 major benefits of Diversion Courts, which are that they save tax dollars lead to improved lives for offenders, provide service to the community and finally reduce recidivism. I hope after listening the concrete facts, statistics and first hand accounts of someone who has been working in this field for the past 10 weeks, I am able to shape your ideas or reaffirm beliefs that Diversion Court and Rehabilitation programs work to benefit society and in the end, you can make more informed decisions for your community as a whole!