Reset Jefferson County

Through Reset Jefferson County, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office Birmingham Division (JCDA) will implement innovative strategies for reducing crime, improving community safety, and strengthening justice system outcomes in Jefferson County, Alabama. Reset Jefferson County is a pretrial, prosecutor-led diversion program wherein eligible participants are diverted from the court system. The program is a new approach to diverting young people, particularly Black residents who collectively have historically been underserved in Birmingham, away from the criminal legal system through a proportionate, effective, and meaningful response to low-level felony offending.

The three project goals include: 1) meaningfully address identified inequities by employing developmentally appropriate interventions as an alternative to incarceration and felony convictions; 2) reduce the likelihood of rearrests for enrolled participants and reduce the number of Black people in Jefferson County who become entrenched in the criminal justice system; and 3) create a replicable model diversion program that is supported by research, documentation of implementation, and tools to support replication. Proposed key partners include research partner RTI International and program partner The Literary Healing Arts. Others include the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office, Birmingham Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Key outcomes for the justice system include dismissing cases that complete Reset; prosecution and defense attorneys promoting accountability without court time or cost; reduced case backlogs and reduced demands on the legal system. Key outcomes for participants include improved perceptions of procedural justice and outcome fairness; reduction of time in court; avoidance of conviction; avoidance of the possibility of jail through sentence or warrant; increased access to community services; and quicker case resolution. Additional outcomes include reduced recidivism, improved public safety, and improved community perceptions of the justice system. Products to be shared with the field include training curricula, research reports, a planning and implementation guide, and a toolkit.