The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is soliciting proposals to plan and implement diversion programs after arrest and before arraignment (or, “early diversion” programs) to divert young adults and adults arrested for low-level offenses who do not have a criminal record from court processing to effective and tailored community-based responses. Early diversion programs provide a proportional response to low-level crime and a meaningful intervention to put young adults and adults on a path to success.

Proposals should focus on early diversion programs that take place after arrest and before arraignment for eligible young adults ages 18 to 20 and adults ages 21 and older issued a Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT) by the police for a low-level offense. Programs serving young adults will be specifically attuned to addressing the challenges and experience of young adulthood. Program staff will connect participants to voluntary services and supports in their community, as appropriate, in addition to program requisites that are proportionate to the crime and responsive to individual risks and needs. The early diversion programs will provide participants with the opportunity to avoid prosecution and an arrest record.

CJII is particularly interested in funding evidence-based, promising, and/or innovative community-based diversion programs that are proportionate to the alleged crime and that are designed to hold individuals accountable for their actions while helping them avoid prosecution and address the challenges and circumstances that contributed to their arrest.

Individuals arrested on misdemeanor charges overwhelmingly contribute to the high volume of criminal court cases in New York City, accounting for 75% of criminal court arraignments. Processing these cases through court demands significant resources and slows down dockets. At the same time, a growing body of research suggests that for people with a low-risk of reoffending, criminal court processing and exposure to associated sanctions—such as detention, intensive community supervision, or mandatory services (e.g. intensive mental health treatment)—can produce unintended consequences and increase the likelihood of reoffending. Alternatives that divert individuals who do not pose a risk to public safety to community-based responses early in the process after arrest can both reduce system inefficiency and promote a more effective and proportionate response to crime than court processing.

The anticipated total funding for early diversion programs is up to $6.5 million over 3.5 years.

Documents

• CJII Early Diversion Programs Request for Proposals
• ADDENDUM 1: Applicant Questions and Answers
• ADDENDUM 2: Revised Appendix 4-Eligible Early Diversion Populations

Deadlines

The deadline to submit questions about this RFP was Friday, October 21, 2016 by 11:59 p.m. EST.

The deadline to submit proposals was December 16, 2016, by 11:59 p.m. EST. 

Background

ISLG is the technical assistance consultant to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for CJII. ISLG will manage the grantees funded under CJII, and provide oversight and performance measurement throughout the lifetime of the initiative. All funds will be administered through the Research Foundation of CUNY (Research Foundation).

Last updated January 6, 2017