Promote the efficient use of prosecutorial resources, hold defendants accountable for criminal conduct and mitigate the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction.

Defendants are assessed for different criminogenic needs and are provided treatment and drug testing in accordance with their respective criminogenic needs.

First, we use community-based providers to perform treatment and drug testing services. Second, instead of utilizing community supervision staff to monitor diversion defendants., we rely upon the community-based providers to track and report to us the progress defendants make on their treatment plans. Third, diversion defendants are responsible for paying assessment, treatment and drug testing costs. Fourth, recently the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to help offset the costs (assessment, treatment and drug testing) incurred by non-Medicaid (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System-AHCCCS) eligible defendants. A sliding scale has been developed to determine fees defendants must pay. The scale is based upon the Federal Poverty Level. AHCCCS pays the assessment and programming fees for AHCCCS-insured defendants and if required, ARPA funding covers their drug testing fees.

If defendant is assessed and determined to have a substance use criminogenic need then they must comply with drug testing requirements related to their risk to re-offend.

Once a Deputy County Attorney (DCA) offers diversion to a defendant, staff from the Diversion Strategies Group (DSG) work with defense attorneys, the providers and sometimes the defendant to get them enrolled and then discharged. If the defendant unsuccessfully completes the diversion program then DSG staff work with the respective DCA to re-instate their felony charges. DSG staff salaries and operating costs are paid by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) not the defendants. No MCAO funds are used to pay for defendant treatment or drug testing.