Police Diversion at Arrest: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Police-initiated diversion programs are an increasingly common intervention to prevent excessive arrests of vulnerable populations. This systematic literature review carefully examined the current state of research to evaluate what is known about these programs and to determine the next steps for the field. Health, human services, legal, and criminal justice databases were searched for empirical research on police-initiated pre-arrest diversion of adults from 2000 to the present, resulting in 47 relevant studies for the review. The study designs, analyses, and findings are described. Overall, police diversion programs were associated with reducing recidivism and lowering costs, although there is little association between program participation and improved behavioral health. More in-depth qualitative and quasi-experimental research is needed. Police diversion programs can be seen as one major social justice strategy to reduce dependence on mass incarceration to resolve social problems.