Jail diversion program halts service in Atlanta

Riley Bunch, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jan 2, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ATLANTA — Atlanta’s founding pre-arrest diversion program is suspending its services in the city of Atlanta, after a months-long contract battle with Mayor Andre Dickens administration.

The Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative helps residents experiencing extreme poverty, substance abuse or mental health problems avoid jail time and connect with community-based resources. The city funnels PAD clients through the police department and ATL 3-1-1 hotline.

But the fate of the program has been unclear since Spring, when legislation approving a new multi-year agreement with the city stalled after pressure from the mayor’s office.

While Atlanta City Council members questioned why they were being asked to hold off on voting on the contract, officials in the mayor’s office weighed other options behind closed doors. The city issued a request for proposal for the same services already awarded to PAD, but excluded the organization from bidding through a closed, special procurement process.

Supporters of the diversion program celebrated when council members bucked the mayor’s wishes and approved PAD’s contract during a meeting in November. Council member Amir Farokhi even accused the mayor’s executive staff of being “confusing” and “gaslighting” in their arguments against the agreement.

But despite council’s vote to move the contract forward, PAD’s leadership said it will end its services in Atlanta after the contract failed to be finalized before the first of the year.

“We have done everything in our power to ensure the continuity of the compassionate in-person aid that residents have come to rely on,” PAD Executive Director Moki Macías said in a statement. “Once the contract is executed, we look forward to continuing to serve our community as Atlanta’s homegrown, community-based non-police response team.”

In an email sent earlier this month, Macías said the program will discontinue on Dec. 31 when the current contract expires.

“We remain committed to providing the high-quality mobile response services that we are known for and hope to do so beginning January 1, 2025,” she wrote to the city’s chief operating officer, police chief and City Council members.

According to PAD’s monthly reports, the program helped divert more than 250 Atlantans from jail to community resources from January through October of 2024. The organization has worked with ATL 3-1-1 since 2021 and responded to over 1,800 calls last year, according to the reports.

The mayor’s office did not respond immediately to request for comment, but top aides for Dickens have publicly questioned the success of the program compared to the level of funding dedicated to it.

“What we have seen is a huge increase in funding, but the numbers are beginning to trickle down,” Atlanta’s Chief Operating Officer LaChandra Burks said on Nov 18. “And that is a cause of concern for us.”

Dozens of Atlantans who avoided jail time because of the program disagree.

Tanesha Door was first introduced to PAD in 2020 when she was experiencing homelessness during the pandemic and then again not long after to help her escape a domestic violence situation.

“Today, I stand before you not just as a survivor, but as a mother who can now provide a safe, loving home for her children,” she said during a Nov. 4 City Council meeting. “PAD’s support was more than just meeting basic needs, it restored my dignity and empowered me to thrive.”