Helping Your Community Create Pre-Arrest Diversion (Civil Citation) Programs: An Effective Alternative to Arrest

The Civil Citation Diversion & Deflection Network (CCDDN) is a nonprofit entity with the goal of promoting the expansion of both juvenile and adult pre-arrest diversion programs. The Civil Citation Diversion & Deflection Network was created after the success of both juvenile and adult pre-arrest diversion programs in Leon County, Florida.

Pre-arrest diversion (PAD) programs, also known as civil citation and by other names, are an innovative front end community response on how to handle low level offenses, often accompanied by behavioral health issues. These programs provide efficient and effective responses to low-level crime, and while growing nationally and internationally, are still currently underutilized.

With PAD programs, rather than arresting the individual, the law enforcement officer has the discretion to issue a referral to the civil citation program. This approach reduces the collateral consequences of an arrest for the individual, supports and builds community policing initiatives, and offers an opportunity to link these individuals with services, including substance use disorder treatment and mental health care, which assists the individual on a new behavioral pathway. Those who qualify and successfully complete a pre-arrest diversion program have the benefit of not having an arrest record. These programs assure public safety by assessing and engaging the individual in consequences for their behavior such as intervention services, educational sessions and/or community service.