A Pre-Arrest Diversion Program for Substance Use: Evaluating Predictors of Success and Impact on Clinical Outcomes

Abstract

Context: Those with untreated substance use disorder (SUD) are often involved with the criminal justice system during the course of addiction and continue to experience negative outcomes following arrest and incarceration. Law enforcement-led pre-arrest diversion programs aimed to redirect those who commit drug use-related offenses to treatment may improve addiction treatment engagement and associated clinical outcomes.Objective: To identify predictors of treatment engagement and evaluate the impact of a city-wide prearrest diversion program on participants' clinical characteristics.