Grand Forks County selected as pilot site for prosecution-led diversion program
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Summary
The county's prosecutor described an 18-month, state-funded pilot for a prosecution-led diversion program that will accept limited, low-level offenders referred by law enforcement for tailored conditions and services; success metrics will be reported to the legislature.
The county’s prosecuting office briefed commissioners on a state-funded prosecution-led diversion pilot that will operate in three counties. The prosecutor said the office applied for a Department of Corrections and governor’s-office grant and was selected as a pilot site.
The model relies on referrals from officers who encounter suitable individuals in the community. Referred individuals will undergo risk assessments and, if accepted, be assigned conditions similar to probation — which may include treatment, community service or restitution — and will report to a supervising officer. "For those right cases, it really was a game changer," the prosecutor said, describing prior experience shared by the Grand Forks Police Department.
The program is expressly limited to a narrow set of low-level, non-repeat offenders; the prosecutor said there is a long list of disqualifying offenses and the county will limit intake to match capacity. The pilot will last approximately 18 months and the three pilot counties will report back to the state on enrollment and outcome measures, after which the legislature will consider whether to expand the program.
Commissioners asked procedural questions about officer training and referral criteria; staff said Grand Forks Police Department officers are being trained on the program’s criteria and disqualifying offenses before the county begins accepting participants.
