Divert and Deflect

The workgroup’s purpose is to update, innovate and improve upon efforts to divert and/or deflect individuals from the criminal justice system as appropriate. Strategic initiatives include jail most visible persons (MVP) interventions, research on health, safety and life outcomes among populations diverted from jail, and crime, arrest and jail use tracking.

Prior CJCC strategies deliberately prioritized alternative to jail for lower level charges that were most frequently booked and that disparately impacted communities of color, and supported law enforcement’s increasing use of community-based services like the Tri-County Crisis Stabilization Center so people can get the help they need without falling deeper into the criminal justice system. These changes fundamentally changed jail use in Charleston County. In addition, the CJCC utilized data to better understand drivers of local jail use as well as the familiar face population, individuals who cycle in and out of the local jail frequently. Therefore, the workgroup is advancing three specific initiatives:

INITIATIVE ONE: Most visible persons (MVP) case conferencing

• Building the infrastructure to wrap services around familiar faces within existing resources and, in the process, learn lessons that can help guide broader efforts to minimize harm and reduce recidivism.

INITATIVE TWO: diversion and deflection research

• Conducting research to more fully understand officer decision-making and how deflecting individuals away from deeper involvement in the criminal justice system and to diversionary options (and subsequent treatment) impacts arrests, jail population, and outcomes.

INITIATIVE THREE: crime, jail use, diversion and deflection dashboard

• Instituting a dashboard to monitor patterns of crime, diversion and deflection, arrests, and jail use activity in the Charleston community.

These initiatives were developed to help shape ongoing efforts to uphold public safety and achieve improved outcomes. Each of the initiatives provide concrete objectives for moving this important work forward. In addition, the lessons learned from these initiatives can help inform future policy and/or budgetary steps.