Tulsa County Domestic Violence Diversion Initiative

Proposed Initiative: In order to reduce the extraordinary crime rate in Tulsa County, decrease the population of incarcerated people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders, and decrease recidivism, the Tulsa County District Attorney proposes to launch a Domestic Violence Diversion Initiative (DVDI) that funds three key personnel—a case manager, a prosecutor, and a detective—to identify DV offenders who are eligible for alternative sentence recommendations and provide access to social and treatment services. This project will be carried out in partnership with Family & Children’s Services, a certified mental health agency, who will hire and supervise the case manager, and with the Tulsa Police Department’s Family Violence Unit.

Target Population: Domestic violence offenders with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders

Goal: Improve the system by which criminal justice agencies in Tulsa County identify domestic violence (DV) offenders with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders who are eligible for treatment in lieu of traditional sentencing.

Objectives:

Training and Process Development: Use the 3-Quarter Planning Phase to develop methods and processes for identifying preliminarily qualified DV offenders and making alternative charging and sentencing recommendations.
Investigation, Prosecution, and Diversion: Implement processes developed in the 3-Quarter Planning Phase to more efficiently and effectively identify DV offenders who are eligible for treatment in lieu of traditional sentencing.

Program Measurements and Performance Targets: # of trainings attended and given, and by whom; Planning and Implementation Guide; 500 DV offenders screened for MI/SUD treatment needs; 400 DV cases either diverted into alternative courts or prosecuted with alternative sentence recommendations to include treatment requirements

Plan of Action/Activity: Develop procedures for integrating behavioral health training and identification into criminal justice processes; develop methods of appropriately screening and diverting DV offenders; contact victims and families to solicit input and support for treatment services in lieu of traditional court processes; investigate and prosecute these cases.