Los Angeles County Rapid Diversion Program Evaluation

The Los Angeles County Rapid Diversion Program (RDP) is a pretrial mental health diversion program that was established in 2019. RDP serves individuals whose mental health diagnoses (which can include substance use disorders) played a role in the criminal charges that they are facing.

The concept for RDP was developed with several local departments at the table, including public defense, prosecution, behavioral health services, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The program is now overseen by the Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD).

When RDP launched, it focused on people facing low-level, nonviolent misdemeanor charges. RDP has expanded from one courthouse to seven in its first five years of operation. It now diverts qualifying people facing misdemeanor or felony charges. In addition to mental health and/or substance use disorder treatment, RDP clients receive case management services to help them address other needs (e.g., housing, obtaining benefits). Successful completion of RDP leads to the dismissal of charges. The figure depicts the RDP process.

Evaluating the Rapid Diversion Program

RAND researchers aimed to understand how RDP is being implemented, the successes and challenges that the program faces, and the characteristics of clients served by the program. The research team reviewed relevant documents, observed courtroom proceedings, conducted interviews with program implementation partners and graduates, and analyzed program data.

In their assessment, the researchers found both strengths in implementation and challenges to consider while contemplating the expansion of RDP. Overall, public defenders, prosecutors, and clinicians support expanding the program.

Key Findings

Building a Diversion Program

RDP was developed on the foundation of three guiding principles that have helped address limitations to the traditional pretrial mental health diversion process under the California Penal Code, Section 1001.36: (1) identifying a set of charges that the defense, prosecution, and courts can agree are appropriate for diversion; (2) embedding clinical staff directly in the courts, which avoids the lengthy process of retaining a forensic evaluator to assess the client and then developing a treatment plan; and (3) providing case management to both address additional client needs and help ensure program compliance.

Rapid Diversion Program Client Characteristics and Outcomes

Among the findings on client characteristics and outcomes:

• From March 2022 to April 2024, more than 4,300 people were evaluated, and more than 1,200 were diverted.
• Most clients are Hispanic (about 47 percent) or Black (28 percent).
• About 35 percent are unhoused and 42 percent are in temporary housing when they enter the program.
• About one-half of the individuals approved for diversion are facing misdemeanor charges, and one-half are facing felony charges.
• As of April 2024, more than 660 clients had graduated from the program, and 91 percent had avoided having a new case filed for an offense occurring after graduation.

1. Attorney referral
2. Clinical evaluation
3. Service linkage
4. Prosecutor review
5. Division hearing
6. Progress on diversion
7. Graduation and dismissal of charges

RDP graduates highlighted the program's transformative potential. They described the case managers as flexible, open, and compassionate and noted that the treatment they received through the program helped them build skills, address their mental health and substance use, and change their mindset. As one graduate said, "[M]y case was dismissed, so I have my life back."

Rapid Diversion Program Strengths

The analysis found that RDP is truly rapid compared with traditional diversion. Embedding clinical evaluators in the court shortens the time needed to assess potential clients and identify treatments. Also, RDP reaches a population that is not served by other diversion options in the county, which focus on people with serious mental illness.

Both public defenders and prosecutors acknowledged the benefits of RDP compared with traditional prosecution: Graduates are able to avoid the criminal legal system (and the associated collateral consequences), and connecting clients to needed treatment can improve public safety.

Rapid Diversion Program Challenges

Implementation partners cited challenges in implementing RDP and serving a larger population. Those include the complexity of issues that the client population faces and high caseloads.

Program staff work hard to connect clients to treatment and get them released from custody quickly. However, gaps exist in the continuum of services available in Los Angeles County, including a need for more mental health and dual-diagnosis facilities and options for people with complex medical issues or other unique circumstances.

Public defense attorneys said they think that RDP should include a wider range of charges. Prosecutors, however, raised concerns about public safety—even though they agreed that RDP has some benefits over traditional prosecution.

Recommendations for the Rapid Diversion Program

RDP has filled an important place in the continuum of options for people in Los Angeles County who have behavioral health concerns and are involved in the criminal legal system. Findings from this evaluation underpin recommendations to strengthen the ongoing implementation and expansion of RDP.

Several of these recommendations require broader county coordination and support, including the following:

• Funding: Provide additional funding that would allow more full-time staff to support the program rather than having staff split their efforts across responsibilities. Funding that would allow reduced caseloads for clinical providers, which could mitigate turnover and burnout, would also be valued.
• Treatment options: Fund dedicated treatment centers for RDP clients, which would expedite service linkage and could address gaps in the current system.
• Collaboration: Improve collaboration and interagency partnership within the county. As JCOD grows, it may be ideally suited to promote this type of cross-agency and cross-program collaboration.

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Topics

• Crime and Violence Prevention
• Legal Case and Court Management
• Los Angeles
• Mental Health Treatment
• Sentencing
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment