Diversion Committee Relaunched - First Step, Revise Diversion Standards

NAPSA’s Diversion Committee

Begins Standards Revisions by Defining Diversion

The National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA) has played a seminal role in shaping the field of Diversion for nearly five decades. NAPSA first articulated a definition of Diversion in its 1978 Black Letter Standards for Pretrial Release, thereby laying the foundation for a national dialogue on alternatives to traditional criminal case processing. Building upon that framework, NAPSA issued the inaugural Pretrial Diversion Standards in 1995, emphasizing the importance of non-punitive pathways to case resolution—approaches designed not only to improve immediate community outcomes but also to mitigate long-term recidivism risk.

Recognizing the rapid evolution of Diversion practices, NAPSA published the second edition of the Performance Standards and Goals for Pretrial Diversion/Interventions in 2008. This work was prompted by profound system-level developments, including the advent of electronic criminal record systems and the proliferation of treatment courts. NAPSA further contributed to the field through the release of key publications such as Promising Practices in Pretrial Diversion (2009), Pretrial Diversion in the 21st Century (2009), and Outcome and Performance Measures for the Pretrial Diversion Field (2011). In collaboration with the National Institute of Corrections, NAPSA also convened a national symposium that culminated in the 2017 report, Using Front-End Interventions to Achieve Public Safety and Healthy Communities.

Over the past several years, organizations such as the American Bar Association, the Center for Effective Public Policy, the National Institute of Corrections, and All Rise have produced exemplary resources, trainings, and scholarship in this area. NAPSA commends these contributions and now seeks to once again assume a leadership role by reestablishing the NAPSA Diversion Committee. The charge to this committee is multifaceted: to develop a comprehensive definition of Diversion; to delineate NAPSA’s role in advancing the field; to design practical tools for practitioners; and to update the Diversion Standards, which have not been revised since 2008.

The committee is composed of an accomplished and diverse group of practitioners from approximately a dozen states, representing rural, suburban, and urban jurisdictions. Members bring expertise across multiple disciplines, including direct service delivery, program management, and prosecution. This breadth of experience provides the foundation for producing resources that are both theoretically rigorous and operationally pragmatic. Over the coming years, the committee will release a series of documents and tools, culminating in the development of robust, research-informed Diversion Standards that reflect the needs and realities of contemporary practice.

As an initial step, the committee has adopted the following working definition:

Diversion refers to any program or strategy that directs individuals away from traditional criminal justice processes.

This intentionally broad conceptualization affirms the diversity of approaches currently in practice while leaving space for future innovation. It explicitly encompasses treatment courts, while recognizing that specialized organizations such as All Rise are best positioned to lead the field on that specific model. More broadly, the definition reflects NAPSA’s conviction that Diversion can—and should—be available at every stage of the criminal justice continuum. Whether implemented through law enforcement-led deflection, pre-charge prosecutorial initiatives, or post-charge options, Diversion must consistently be grounded in three essential pillars: ethics, empirical research, and the rule of law.

Through this relaunch, NAPSA reiterates its dedication to promoting Diversion as both a core principle and an applied practice.  We invite members and colleagues to participate in this endeavor. Those interested in contributing to the NAPSA Diversion Committee may contact NAPSA Executive Director Wendy Venvertloh at execdirector@napsa.org.

Wendy Venvertloh

Executive Director

National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA)