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Task force debates 'true diversion' and pushes for data to measure program effectiveness
Summary
Members debated whether 'true diversion' must occur before charging, discussed prosecutorial diversion and therapeutic courts, and urged stronger data collection and a third-party evaluation funded by the Health Care Authority to measure program outcomes.
At the Nov. 24 meeting of Whatcom County's IPRTF, public defender director Stark argued that "true diversion" should occur prior to charging so people never enter the criminal legal system. "The only way you can accomplish true diversion is prior to charging," Stark said, urging prosecutorial engagement in pre-charge diversion options and pointing to juvenile diversion as a model.
Prosecutor Eric Ritchie pushed back on the terminology and emphasized that different people need…
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