The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
The Political Dynamics of Justice Reform in The U.S.
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not be forced back <strong>in</strong>" to the crim<strong>in</strong>al justice system, said Diversion Coord<strong>in</strong>ator Marty<br />
Krause.<br />
Eric Whitcher, a Penn<strong>in</strong>gton County public defender, said his <strong>of</strong>fice is entirely on board<br />
with the "terrific" program.<br />
"People make mistakes and bad choices, especially when they are young," he said.<br />
Diversion allows "for the acceptance <strong>of</strong> responsibility for the choices made, without the<br />
lifelong consequences <strong>of</strong> a crim<strong>in</strong>al conviction."<br />
"It's really a second chance to make my life not go down the tubes," said John (the<br />
Journal is us<strong>in</strong>g a pseudonym to protect his identity).<br />
Customized program<br />
Diversion is hard work, said Krause.<br />
"<strong>The</strong>y have to want to do this," he said. "<strong>The</strong> underly<strong>in</strong>g premise to this is it is harder<br />
than plead<strong>in</strong>g guilty. <strong>The</strong>y will have more to do <strong>in</strong> this program than if they walked <strong>in</strong>to<br />
court and pleaded guilty."<br />
Krause says the program is work<strong>in</strong>g so far: 900 people have been referred to diversion,<br />
80 percent <strong>of</strong> those who jo<strong>in</strong> complete their requirements and 84 percent aren't arrested<br />
with<strong>in</strong> a year. Participants are tracked for five years so Krause can study the longerterm<br />
recidivism rate.<br />
Most participants are referred to the program by their defense lawyer dur<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>itial<br />
court appearance, Krause said. But sometimes police <strong>of</strong>ficers will call him right after<br />
arrest<strong>in</strong>g someone they th<strong>in</strong>k would be a good fit for the program.<br />
After a referral, staff conducts an FBI background check to see if the person has a<br />
limited crim<strong>in</strong>al history and if that's the case, they go through a one- to three-hour <strong>in</strong>take<br />
appo<strong>in</strong>tment to determ<strong>in</strong>e what they're struggl<strong>in</strong>g with, what resources and support they<br />
have, and what k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> help they need.<br />
Next, participants write a letter expla<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the crime they committed, why they did it, and<br />
how be<strong>in</strong>g convicted would impact their life. Writ<strong>in</strong>g this down helps participants th<strong>in</strong>k<br />
about why they did what they did and can also be used to help convict them if they don't<br />
follow through with the program, Krause said.<br />
"That's k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> the teeth <strong>of</strong> the program, that's how we hold them accountable<br />
essentially," said Adam Shiffermiller, the deputy state's attorney who oversees<br />
diversion.<br />
After participants write the letter, sign a legal agreement and pay any restitution, Krause<br />
said, prosecutors drop the participant's charges. If they complete their customized<br />
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