RT Article
T1 Examining Case Dismissal Outcomes in Prosecutor-Led Diversion Programs
JF Criminal justice policy review
VO 34
IS 3
SP 236
OP 260
A1 Epperson, Matthew W.
A1 Sawh, Leon
A1 Patel, Sadiq
A1 Pettus, Carrie
A1 Grier, Annie
A2 Sawh, Leon
A2 Patel, Sadiq
A2 Pettus, Carrie
A2 Grier, Annie
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/183777420X
AB 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.
K1 prosecutor-led diversion programs
K1 Decarceration
K1 Diversion
K1 prosecutors
DO 10.1177/08874034221138738