Anaheim Collaborative Court - Evaluating Strategies and Solutions

In January 2022, with the support of the Orange County Superior Court and Public Defender, the Anaheim City Attorney launched the Anaheim Collaborative Court-Evaluating Strategies and Solutions (ACCESS), a prosecution led, misdemeanor pre-trial diversion program designed for homeless individuals suffering from mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. The purpose of ACCESS is to connect the Court with community resources so that our system of justice may support, rather than undermine, the stability and sobriety of those whose criminality is inextricably intertwined with their disease and housing insecurity.
The heart of ACCESS is the multidisciplinary courtroom team consisting of a Judge, Prosecutor, Public Defender, Clinician, Peer Lead and Coordinator. In order to sustain and expand ACCESS, the Anaheim City Attorney is seeking federal assistance to fund critical programmatic components that lack immediate resource streams. Federal funds will enable ACCESS to scale up courtroom assessments and contract with the Center for Justice Innovation to inform data collection in anticipation of an exhaustive program evaluation which may inform system change for the entire Orange County Justice system and beyond. There are no planned conference activities for the recommended award.