Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Marathon County DA outlines expansion of deflection/diversion programs, cites savings estimates
Summary
The district attorney’s office described its deflection and diversion efforts, staffing and grants (JAG, COSEP), reported 287 referrals to deflection and strong historical success rates, and presented cost-benefit estimates showing net savings to the community tied to program outcomes.
Marathon County’s district attorney’s office presented a multi-part update on Nov. 11 describing how deflection and diversion programs connect people with substance use and mental-health services and aim to reduce recidivism and court backlog.
Ruth Heinzel of the DA’s office introduced the team and emphasized the programs’ law-enforcement and prosecutorial collaboration. She said Dana Bittner, the lead deflection specialist, “has had a total of 287 referrals so far,” with approximately 100–110 active deflection cases at a time.…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
