Magistrates Court Diversion Program: Overview of Key Data Findings

• NCJ Number: 201105
• Author(s): Nicole Hunter; Helen McRostie
• Date Published: July 2001
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: South Australia Office of Crime Statistics and Research
• Sale Source: South Australia Office of Crime Statistics and Research
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Office of Crime Statistics Information Bulletin, No. 20, July 2001

Annotation

This bulletin describes the rational behind the introduction of the Magistrates Court Diversion Program (MCDP), as well as the aims and objectives of the program, and presents some of the findings from an evaluation of the pilot MCDP in South Australia.

Abstract

The Magistrates Court Diversion Program (MCDP), undertaken by the Office of Crime Statistics (OCS) for the Justice Strategy Unit of the South Australian Attorney General’s Department, was designed to better ensure that people with a mental impairment who come before the court have access to appropriate interventions to assist in addressing their offending behavior. It was predicated on the principle that all persons should receive fair treatment before the law. An evaluation was conducted on the MCDP during the pilot period of July 1999 to June 2000. During this time frame, 201 referrals were made to the pilot MCDP with 123 subsequently becoming program participants. The intent of the evaluation was to obtain information on offending and outcomes for defendants participating in the program. This report presented findings on referral outcomes or the primary reason for exclusion to the MCDP. The report also considered the characteristics of those individuals who participated in the pilot diversion program, the nature of the intervention involved, and the outcomes received. Tables, bibliography