Examining Case Dismissal Outcomes in Prosecutor-Led Diversion Programs
Prosecutors’ offices are a critical site for criminal legal reform and decarceration efforts. Prosecutor-led diversion programs (PLDPs) are a prosecutorial innovation that process cases away from punitive prosecution and, instead, offer various services and supports. Successfully completing a PLDP r...
| Authors: | ; ; ; ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
Criminal justice policy review
Year: 2023, Volume: 34, Issue: 3, Pages: 236-260 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Keywords: |
| Summary: | Prosecutors’ offices are a critical site for criminal legal reform and decarceration efforts. Prosecutor-led diversion programs (PLDPs) are a prosecutorial innovation that process cases away from punitive prosecution and, instead, offer various services and supports. Successfully completing a PLDP results in the dismissal of the charge, which helps participants to avoid formal entry into the criminal legal system and a range of collateral consequences. This paper reports findings from over 11,000 participants in six PLDPs in three Midwestern jurisdictions, and examines race/ethnicity and charge characteristics associated with successful program completion and case dismissal. Findings indicate that PLDPs have the capacity to provide alternative processing to a large volume of defendants with high completion rates, although the likelihood of racial/ethnic minorities to successfully complete the program is mixed. PLDPs are discussed as a promising policy and programmatic innovation that can help to move away from an era of mass incarceration. |
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| ISSN: | 1552-3586 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/08874034221138738 |