Diversion programs focus on suspending formal criminal procedures against defendants involved in minor crimes comprising traffic violations, shoplifting, minor theft, and juvenile offences. Furthermore, the charges against the defendants are expunged and dismissed before the individuals enter the traditional criminal justice system. The diversion strategies focus on attaining various goals to offer essential benefits to the criminal justice system and the community. For instance, diversion programs are essential in reducing the costs resulting from eliminating the process of probation and incarceration (State’s Attorney Office, 2022). On the same note, the programs have a significant role in reducing and eliminating the stigma and labelling of minor crime offenders, thus effectively and successfully incorporated into the community. Studies have indicated reduced recidivism due to diversion programs and rehabilitation procedures. Nevertheless, the approach has an integral part in reducing the caseload in the criminal justice system and is essential for dealing with the mass incarceration problems experienced at the state and federal levels. As per Farrell et al. (2018), the diversion program is vital in facilitating restorative justice leading to the victims benefiting from the process, such as financial restitution for the incurred losses. Besides, the victim receives the offender’s apology, which prevents and eradicates the hatred and enmity within the community.
Diversion Programs in Baltimore Maryland
Diversion programs in Baltimore, Maryland, have indicated significant success compared to the conventional criminal justice system that possesses various procedures including court heating, probation and imprisonment, to name a few. As a result, diversions programs should have extensive expansion throughout the states and country due to the essential benefits the system offers to the community, victims, offenders and the criminal justice system. For instance, AIM to B’More (AIM) program created in 2015 has shown crucial benefits to all parties involved in the criminal justice system, paving the way for extensive use of the system instead of the incarceration approaches (State’s Attorney Office, 2022). The program focused on dealing with people involved in minor criminal offences and drug-related felonies, offering alternatives to imprisonment, probation and court procedures which are expensive and adversely impact the reputation of the offenders in society resulting from stigma and labelling. Besides, the diverse program option provides essential services in the community that are lacking in the traditional criminal system. For instance, diversion programs involve services such as personal development, occupational training and mental health, which have an integral role in improving the lives of individuals involved in minor crimes (The Baltimore Story, 2021). Such services are essential for individual and community development in the current society due to high rates of mental health issues and poverty that contribute to people engaging in minor crimes and drug offences.
Individuals who have undergone the AIM program revealed receiving significant services for the critical population and positively impacting short and long-term health and well-being factors in the community and safety in the community surrounding. The Baltimore Story (2021) asserted that the diversion facilitates offering reals opportunities for offenders and enhances individual and situation growth and development, leading to long-term sustainability. Besides, individuals who complete the programs successfully possess the opportunity to move on without obstacles of the criminal records, which negatively affects the offenders in seeking or retaining employment opportunities and receiving social services compared to the incarceration system of justice (The Washington Post, 2022). In Baltimore, Maryland, 98 of the population comprised the African Americans, with 90% male, 87% maintained their employment-population after committing offences, and others acquired new employment opportunities (State’s Attorney Office, 2022). Such benefits are lacking in the incarceration system of the criminal justice system, which adversely affects the defendants of minor crimes and drug-related offences. For instance, the incarceration system presents limited employment opportunities for released individuals due to being labelled a felon and possessing a criminal record leading to most employers’ rejection (The Baltimore Story, 2021). Besides, imprisonment contributes to overstaying the incarceration facilities, diminishing the abilities and experience of the people, which reduces their chances of securing employment when released. Equally, incarcerated individuals experienced a high level of stigma and discrimination in the communities due to existing hatred and enmity between the ex-convicts and community and victims (Farrell et al., 2018). Hence, diversion programs are an excellent approach in handling minor cases compared to incarceration due to their essential benefits to the offenders, victims and society.
According to State’s Attorney Office (2022), the recidivism rate in Baltimore, Maryland, is 37% compared to the national rate, which is 68% and higher, while individual undergoes the traditional criminal justice system leading to imprisonment when offenders are guilty of minor offences. The diversion programs provide an opportunity for the individual to change through enhancing personal growth and offering opportunities in the labor market to access and secure employment opportunities which lack in the incarceration system. Equally, the strategies contribute to empowering the individual by offering diverse services such as mental health and occupational training. Furthermore, a study in Seattle using the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) resulted in a 60% reduction in recidivism compared to the control group who experienced the conventional criminal system leading to incarceration (State’s Attorney Office, 2022). Prevention of recidivism possesses essential benefits compared to the imprisonment system. For example, reducing recidivism has an integral role in minimizing costs in the legal system and criminal justice due to the process involved at the community level (Baltimore Police Department, 2022). In the incarceration system, individuals would pay various fines and expenses for the court proceeding and probation, while the state and federal prisons encounter costs in managing the incarcerated people (Farrell et al., 2018). The diversion programs offer substance abuse services to those engaged in various drug offences, which contributes to reducing and eradicating recidivism. Addressing the root cause of the criminal behaviours leads to putting in necessary intervention to avert further criminal activities leading to improving the safety of the community and the well-being of individuals.
In Baltimore, LEAD participants were 58% fewer chances of being arrested for similar offences that resulted in enrollment in the diversion programs compared to those who engaged in similar minor criminal activities not enrolled on the program (Baltimore Police Department, 2022). Furthermore, diversion programs play a significant role in creating and sustaining a cost-effective criminal justice system in Baltimore, Maryland and the entire United States. The incarceration system increases the county, state and federal government to finance all the costs related to keeping the incarcerated individuals behind bars. For example, the LEAD participants reduced costs in the criminal justice system by $2,100 compared to the incarceration system, which increased by $5,961 (State’s Attorney Office, 2022). From the statistical evidence presented by the tested program in the county, the approaches possess essential benefits to society, including all the stakeholders involved in the criminal justice system.
Incarcerating and Reoffending
Incarcerating low-level criminals without interventions has a significant role in reoffending and engaging in the worst crimes in the community due to various factors. For instance, imprisonment leads to individuals losing their jobs and making it difficult to find other employment opportunities due to labelling and criminal records (Baltimore Police Department, 2022). Being labelled a felon negatively impacts the individuals, more so when looking for work in private and public entities. Such incarceration outcomes contribute to poverty due to unemployment, resulting in ex-convicts engaging in criminal activities for upkeep and substance abuse to relieve stress. Idleness resulting from unemployment further facilitates the ex-convicts engaging in more crimes than before and engaging in unhealthy behaviours such as substance abuse and offences (Baltimore Police Department, 2022). On the same note, engaging with hard-core criminals in the incarceration facilities leads to those who committed minor offences being mentored by those who engaged in advanced crimes. When such individuals are released from the prisons, they have high chances of practising what their mentors in prions taught, leading to reoffending and engaging in more developed crimes (Farrell et al., 2018). In Baltimore, unemployment, stigma and being labelled a felony are significant factors contributing to individuals reoffending and engaging in the worst crimes after release from prison.
To conclude, the diversion program should be the first consideration in the criminal justice system before opting for the incarceration approach, which leads to the legal system and incarceration. The evidence from the LEAD programs implemented in Baltimore has indicated success and effectiveness in handling various minor cases. Such diversion programs in the criminal justice system are essential in reducing recidivism rates and costs and empowering individuals through multiple services. Offering mental health services, personal development and occupational training through diversion programs are significant benefits for minor crimes and drug offences due to life opportunities and sustainability and development. Incarceration is fundamental in reoffering and engaging in worse crimes due to exposure to the hard-core criminal who engaged in serious crimes leading to mentoring. Besides, imprisonments lead to unemployment and difficulties in securing job opportunities when individuals are released from prison, leading to unemployment which contributes to crimes.
References
State’s Attorney Office. (2022, May 4). The Baltimore city state’s attorney’s office. The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. https://www.stattorney.org/aim-to-bmore
Baltimore Police Department. (2022, June 10). LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTED DIVERSION (LEAD) PROGRAM. https://www.baltimorepolice.org/transparency/bpd-policies/806-law-enforcement-assisted-diversion-lead-program
The Baltimore Story. (2021, January 31). The “Revolving door” of mass incarceration: What keeps Baltimore city safe? — The Baltimore story. https://thebaltimorestory.org/news/the-revolving-door-of-mass-incarceration-what-keeps-baltimore-city-safe
The Washington Post. (2022, May 2). Baltimore’s leaders are getting tough on crime. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/baltimores-leaders-getting-tough-on-crime
Farrell, J., Betsinger, A., & Hammond, P. (2018). Best practices in youth diversion. The Institute for Innovation & Implementation. https://theinstitute. Maryland. Edu/media/ssw/institute/MD-center-documents/Youth-Diversion-Literature-Review.
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