Abstract
Objectives
We evaluated a prebooking law enforcement assisted diversion (LEAD) program (i.e., initial diversion from the criminal justice system paired with harm-reduction case management and legal assistance to individuals with repeated, low-level drug or prostitution offenses) on criminal justice and legal system utilization and associated costs.
Methods
We used a nonequivalent-groups longitudinal quasi-experimental field trial design in which participants received either the prebooking law enforcement assisted diversion (LEAD) program or the comparison condition (i.e., booking and prosecution as usual). We compared outcomes for LEAD (n = 202) versus comparison (n = 114) participants on criminal justice and legal system utilization and associated costs.
Results
Subsequent to evaluation entry, LEAD participants had 1.4 fewer average yearly jail bookings, spent about 41 fewer days in jail per year, and had 88% lower odds of prison incarceration relative to comparison participants. LEAD participants also showed significant pre-to-post reductions in legal costs (− $2100), whereas comparison participants showed cost increases (+ $5961).
Conclusions
LEAD was associated with statistically significant reductions in criminal justice and legal system utilization and associated costs and represents a promising alternative to the criminal justice system for repeated, low-level drug and prostitution offenders. LEAD is well positioned to positively impact criminal justice policy.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge current and former members of the LEAD Evaluation Advisory Committee, including Mark Baird, Mary Barbosa, Mark Cooke, Clifton Curry, Lisa Daugaard, Ian Goodhew, Ron Jackson, Jutta Joesch, Anita Khandelwal, Kris Nyrop, Christa Valles, Natalie Walton-Anderson, and Mike West, for their valuable contributions to this manuscript. We thank the King County Prosecutor’s office for obtaining the administrative data as well as the Seattle Police Department Narcotics Unit and the REACH team for their help in obtaining the LEAD program data. We also thank Cynthia Lum, PhD, for her helpful comments on initial drafts. Finally, we acknowledge our program staff, Sara Hoang, Gail Hoffman, and Emily Taylor, for their additional administrative and data management contributions.
Funding
This program evaluation was supported by a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. LEAD services and project management have been funded by the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the RiverStyx Foundation, the Vital Projects Fund, the Massena Foundation, and the City of Seattle.
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Collins, S.E., Lonczak, H.S. & Clifasefi, S.L. Seattle’s law enforcement assisted diversion (LEAD): program effects on criminal justice and legal system utilization and costs. J Exp Criminol 15, 201–211 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-019-09352-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-019-09352-7