Diversion Programming
Low-level, non-violent offenders should not should not use up scarce state resources by going through the system without rehabilitation or assistance for a mental health or substance use disorder. Diversion programs are intelligent interventions that are proven to have a lower recidivism rate for individuals who complete them. Our office believes that diversion appropriate individuals can produce better outcomes for the community, reducing costs, and ensuring safety by addressing the underlying issues through these programs.
Pre-Prosecution Diversion Program (PPD)
PPD is a diversion program at the District Attorney’s Office designed for offenders charges with low level, non-violent felonies, removing those defendants from the criminal justice system who are most amenable to rehabilitation. This program provides defendants with services designed to assist them in avoiding future criminal activity. Learn more here.
ADOBE+
Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is a key crime reduction strategy because 85% of adult defendants have four or more ACEs. Our office is piloting a partnership with the ADOBE+ to accept referrals for children of Domestic Violence victims and defendants in order to reduce ACEs. At a variety of intersections, our victim advocates, social workers, and attorneys seek to connect children of domestic violence victims with ADOBE+. Participation in ADOBE+ is not contingent on participation in the criminal case, but the goal is to provide an opportunity for young people to build resilience in an effort to reduce future crime.
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD)
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) is a pre-arrest diversion program that allows Law Enforcement Officers to divert a non-violent individual with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and/or Serious Mental Illness (SMI) to community-based alternatives and services prior to arrest and booking into jail. LEAD is a collaborative partnership between Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Police Department (APD), Bernalillo County Sheriff, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Law Office of the Public Defender.
Assisted Outpatient Treatment
Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) is a civil proceeding in which a Civil Court can order an individual to follow a community-based treatment plan. While the District Attorney’s Office is not involved in AOT, the District Attorney’s Office supports programs that utilizes community based mental health services as a means to achieve reduction in crime.
For more information about AOT or to make a referral for AOT services, please click on the links below. To submit a referral, please email: aot@hopeworksnm.org
Specialty Courts
The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office partners with community members and court staff in several diversion programs in the Juvenile, Metropolitan and District Courts. By focusing on the underlying problems that often lead to a criminal offense, these programs improve long-term community safety and reduce recidivism. Programs like Drug Court and DWI Court are a cost-effective tool for prosecution and have been found to greatly reduce future crime and health care related expenses.