DIVERT Court - 10 years and going strong

For the past 10 years Dallas has attempted to get first time drug offenders away
from drugs and on the path to a productive life.

DIVERT means Dallas Initiative for Diversion and Expedited Rehabilitation and Treatment.

It is an example of a problem-solving court and is one of about 10 in the State of Texas.
Studies by SMU reveal that the courts' recidivism rate is 68% lower than
for similarly situated offenders in jail.

The judge sees the individual very often and is the decision maker on treatment.
When one falls off the wagon, there is intensive residential treatment for a short time,
but nearly every offender does get another chance.

There is an excellent audio file that explains the program in detail and takes about 8 1/2 minutes to listen to.

You can also read about the program at the NPR site or visit Judge Creuzot's web page and
watch a short video about his Divert Court.

Some problem solving courts deal with aggressive behavior and spousal abuse,
although these types of courts are relatively rare in the United States.

Because courts like DIVERT are so cost effective
($1 spent on court equals spending $9 for traditoinal corrections) and
new prisons will be needed if no changes are made, there is a cost/benefit
major gain to supporting these problem solving courts.

Lock 'em up and throw away the key does not seem to have helped in terms of recidivism or crime rates.
Maybe it is time to give more consideration to community corrections and an expanded use of
problem-solving courts.