Diversion
Denver DA Diversion is an alternative to the traditional court process for eligible first-time juvenile and adult offenders. The primary goal is to prevent further involvement in the criminal justice system. This is partially accomplished by referring clients to targeted interventions that meet individual, family, victim and community needs.
Diversion programs focus on skill building and providing opportunities to practice those skills. Clients are assigned to programs based on their risks and needs. The length of time in Diversion varies depending upon the individual needs of the client, but a participant must perform a minimum of 15 hours of community service and complete restitution.
Examples of Diversion Progams:
Intensive Case Management :
Diversion Officers meet with clients based on risk level. High-risk clients meet weekly, moderate-risk clients meet with their officer bi-weekly and low-risk clients are seen monthly. The program’s foundation is based on client rapport-building and trauma-informed practices. For this to occur, officer caseloads are intentionally low, which allows for high quality one-on-one supportive service delivery. This process provides clients with the space to naturally build self-esteem and empowers them to change and grow.
Cognitive Groups:
Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment aimed at reducing recidivism and improving moral reasoning in individuals, particularly those with substance use disorders or criminal backgrounds. It focuses on addressing flawed belief systems, enhancing moral reasoning, and promoting positive decision-making. MRT helps individuals recognize the moral aspects of their behavior and the consequences of their actions, ultimately leading to more responsible and appropriate behavior.
Referrals to Services:
This includes Mental Health and Substance Abuse Screening and Treatment services, DV evaluation and treatment, mentoring, anger management, life skills, employment skills, boundaries and sex offense treatment for juvenile clients only. The office partners with several providers throughout the community to serve program clients.
Interactive Journaling Program:
Interactive Journals guide participants toward positive life changes by providing practical journaling topics that motivate clients and support facilitators with evidence-based strategies to assist youth and adults involved in the criminal justice system in making positive changes to their thoughts, feelings and behavior.
Restorative Justice:
The Denver Restorative Justice Program was formed in partnership with Denver Juvenile Probation, The City and County of Denver’s Office of Neighborhood Safety Municipal Diversion Program and the Denver District Attorney’s Juvenile and Adult Diversion Programs. Client referrals are made to the DA Diversion Program’s Restorative Justice Coordinator. Clients can participate in individual or group conferencing sessions. Conference participants include the person who caused harm, the person harmed, facilitators, and community members. The Restorative Justice process offers the person harmed an opportunity to ask unanswered questions about the crime, to explain the impact of the crime on their life, and to encourage the person who committed the crime to avoid future offending. Restorative Justice is one of several requirements clients must complete to successfully terminate Denver DA Diversion.
Restitution Programming:
The restitution program is offered to clients to help repay victims who have submitted victim impact statements to the office listing monetary damages. Program clients work at various non-profit agencies, earning minimum wage per hour. Funds earned are sent directly to victims from the Diversion office.
Diversion Eligibility:
Adults and juveniles who commit select misdemeanor and/or felony offenses may be offered Diversion services instead of formal court proceedings. Diversion does not discriminate due to ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status.
In general, first-time offenders who commit a felony 3, 4, 5, or 6 offense and/or a Misdemeanor 1, 2, or 3 are eligible for Diversion. This may include defendants charged with theft, burglary of a dwelling, robbery, assault, menacing, fraud, possession of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance. Other case types are eligible and may be referred by District Attorneys on a case-by-case basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Restorative Denver
Restorative Denver is a partnership between the Denver District Attorney’s Office and The Conflict Center, a community-based nonprofit organization. Cases are screened for this program and, if appropriate, referred to The Conflict Center to be handled through this community-based, restorative justice process. To be eligible for Restorative Denver, defendants must be willing to take accountability for their actions and agree to work on repairing the harm they caused, and the victims must be open to having their cases handled through restorative justice. If the defendant successfully completes the restorative justice process, the case will be dismissed.
Benefits of Restorative Justice
- Victims have the opportunity to talk to the person who harmed them and get their questions answered.
- Victims can tell the person who harmed them how they would like the harm repaired.
- After the RJ process, victims receive a sense of closure, peace, and validation about what they experienced that the traditional criminal system does not provide.
- After the RJ process, defendants often experience greater awareness and empathy for how their actions impacted the victim and the community.
- RJ has a much lower rate of recidivism than cases prosecuted in the traditional system, which means a safer community for everyone.
Offense Profiles:
In general, clients who have committed a Felony 3, 4, 5 or Felony 6 property offense and/or a Misdemeanor 1, 2 or 3 are eligible for Diversion. At the discretion of the District Attorney’s Office clients who have committed a misdemeanor resulting in an assault charge against their parents and/or siblings may be allowed to participate in the program. These clients and their parents/guardians must agree to participate in family counseling as well as other Diversion programs.
If a child is not involved in the Juvenile Justice System and a parent or guardian is concerned about his/her behavior, feel free to contact the Denver Juvenile Services Center at 720-913-8980, or click here for a free and confidential consultation.