LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) is a public safety program in which police officers exercise discretionary authority to divert individuals suspected of low level, non-violent crime driven by unmet behavioral health needs to community based health services instead of arrest, jail and prosecution.
How It Works
In lieu of arrest for a low-level, non-violent drug related crime, individuals are referred by law enforcement into a trauma-informed case-management program where the individual receives a wide range of support services. The aim of the program is to stop the cycle of arrest, prosecution and incarceration by addressing issues such as addiction, untreated mental illness, homelessness and poverty through a public health framework that reduces reliance on the criminal justice system.
The Impact
Since May of 2014, 174 individuals have been diverted into LEAD. Of those, 70% engaged in services. Highlights of the 3 year pilot evaluation showed a significant decrease in the number of LEAD clients who used heroin in the past 30 days, and a significant increase in the number of clients using medication assisted treatment. LEAD clients were detained in jail significantly fewer days than the comparison group post referral. The cost of the LEAD program over 3 years was $9,507 per individual vs. $42,000 per individual in the system as usual over 3 years.
Philosophy
LEAD is based in a harm reduction approach for all service provision. LEAD does not require abstinence, and clients cannot be sanctioned for drug use or drug relapse. LEAD recognizes that drug misuse is a complex problem and people need to be reached where they currently are in their lives. The program incorporates measures like health, employment, and overall well-being – instead of abstinence – into the program’s goals.