23 Applicants Across California will receive millions in funding to help with diversion and rehabilitative programs
The Board of State and Community Corrections announced that it was granting 23 applicants a total of $96 million in grants to counties across the State. The money, part of Proposition 47 funding, is designed to promote programs that focus on treatment and rehabilitation for substance-use disorders and mental health disorders. A number of counties were awarded money to assist in housing support and re-entry services. Other programs received funding for diversion programs.
Examples of funding include the Tehama County RESTORE Program in the City of Corning which received $3,535,485 to assist in their adolescent and young adult diversion program with assists with treatment for mental health disorders and substance abuse problems. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office was awarded $6,000,000 for the LA DOOR (Diversion Outreach & Opportunities for Recovery) program which assists in homelessness, substance dependence and mental illness. The Plumas County District Attorney’s Office received $1,000,000 for their Pretrial Diversion Program. The Shasta County Probation Department received $1,000,000 for their Misdemeanor Community Engagement Program which “will focus on engaging offenders who have been charged with misdemeanor charges and have substance abuse and or mental health disorders.”
Across the state, courts are working to establish mental health and other pretrial diversion programs that assist those suffering from an underlying disorder to receive treatment in lieu of automatic jail time. Diversion programs can defer an entry of judgment in the criminal court system for up to two years. If successful, a participant may be granted relief such as dismissal of the original charges.