This document reviews the available research on the implementation and effectiveness of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion programs, which serve as a pre-booking diversion model that allows police officers to divert individuals charged with minor offenses away from prosecution and into community-based services to address addiction, mental health, and/or behavioral health conditions that may have contributed to the offense.
This research review analyzes the implementation and effectiveness of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs, which serve as a pre-booking diversion model that allows police officers to divert individuals charged with minor offenses away from prosecution and into community-based services in order to address addiction, mental health, and/or behavioral health conditions that may have contributed to the offense. The main goal of LEAD is to reduce harm experienced by individuals that come into contact with the police, their loved ones, and the community, by connecting individuals to services that address the underlying causes of their criminal behavior and reduce their future involvement with those types of activities. The document is organized in four sections: the first section discusses the definition and implementation of the LEAD model; the second section reviews the impact of the LEAD model on increasing connections to services, reduction of pressure on the criminal justice system, and cost effectiveness; the third section addresses stakeholders’ perceptions of LEAD programs, including law enforcement, legal partners, service providers, and LEAD clients; and the fourth section provides practical implications for agencies seeking to implement LEAD programs and considerations for future LEAD research. Published studies have used rigorous research methods, including control groups and propensity score methods. Conclusions suggest that LEAD is generally well-received by legal partners, service providers, and clients, though future efforts to improve officer perceptions of these programs are needed in order to maximize success, and additional research is needed to examine the impact of LEAD in different locations and for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and co-occurring conditions.