Alabama bills would rebrand, expand scope of court diversion programs
Program participant Nathan Shack listens to a service provider give a presentation during veterans treatment court in Anniston, Alabama on March 21, 2023. Two bills moving through the Alabama Legislature would rename drug courts "accountability courts" and allow them to enroll veterans and those with mental illnesses. (Ralph Chapoco/Alabama Reflector)
Two bills working their way through the Alabama Legislature would standardize how diversion programs in the state operate.
SB 200, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, and HB 360, sponsored by sponsored by Rep. Chad Robertson, R-Heflin, rebrand 'drug courts' to 'accountability courts' and allows courts to assign veterans; people with a mental illness and those with drug addictions to rehabilitation programs instead of the criminal justice system.
'We need a standardized process for veterans to get help around the state,' Jones said in an interview Wednesday. 'And we need more courts, frankly, around the state, to adopt the diversion court model. We need a standardized process, and we need access.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Alabama Senate approved SB 200 on March 18. The House approved HB 360 on March 19. Both bills have moved to the opposite chambers for consideration. States throughout the country have been increasingly using diversion programs for defendants who committed offenses that stem from an underlying issue, such as drug addiction.
Supporters say diversion programs reduce both court and incarceration expenses, as as expenses connected to treatment programs.
Judges can order people to enter diversion programs in collaboration with prosecutors and treatment providers. Courts are also able to offer accountability to ensure defendants are complying with the conditions of the program and track the progress of defendants. Once defendants complete the rehabilitation program, the record for that offense is expunged and removed from their criminal records.
Pretrial diversion programs are effective. And expensive for participants.
Court proceedings will resume oftentimes if a person is unable to complete the treatment program or adhere to the conditions outlined by the judge. Under the bills, district attorneys may also remove people from diversion programs for a good reason.
'Right now, statutorily wise, the only courts that are set up by state statute are drug courts,' said Casey Bates, chief of staff for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah Stewart who is helping to craft the legislation. 'A number of different counties have set up mental health courts or veterans courts.'
Many times, diversion programs are not available to people unless they reside in an area that offers one they qualify for.
'We wanted to have a framework in place that is going to address any type of court that will be helpful,' Bates said. 'Our goal is to keep people from offending again. We don't want to send them to prison and then have them come back and reoffend. By setting up the accountability court, that is going to be the umbrella for any of the types of courts that are necessary.'
The bills require the Administrative Office of the Courts to establish a process and set policies governing diversion programs.
The bills were amended as they went through the legislative process to allow courts to accept people referred by municipal courts within their jurisdiction and any contractor that is part of the program must be certified by the Alabama Department of Mental Health.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
a day ago
- Fox News
Another Shocking Testimony from Diddy's Trial
More out of the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs and a popular R&B star has passed. #DiddyTrial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit FOX News Radio
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Britain to allocate $116 billion to R&D in spending plan
LONDON (Reuters) -British finance minister Rachel Reeves will allocate 86 billion pounds ($116 billion) in this week's spending review to fund research and development, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said on Sunday. It said the package, funding everything from new drug treatments and longer-lasting batteries to artificial intelligence breakthroughs, would be worth over 22.5 billion pounds a year by 2029/30, driving new jobs and economic growth. Reeves will divide more than 2 trillion pounds ($2.7 trillion) of public money between her ministerial colleagues on Wednesday, making choices that will define what the year-old Labour government can achieve in the next four years. The DSIT said the announcement on R&D follows Reeves' commitment last week to 15.6 billion pounds of government investment in local transport in city regions in the Northern England, Midlands and the South West. ($1 = 0.7398 pounds)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Some Wyoming residents voice support for voter registration changes
CHEYENNE — Beginning July 1, Wyoming voters will be required to provide proof of state residency and U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, something Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray has been advocating for years. The move comes after the Wyoming Legislature passed House Bill 156 in February, a piece of legislation Gov. Mark Gordon let go into law without his signature. The public comment period for rules related to the change began May 5 and lasts until June 20. Wednesday afternoon, Gray's office held an in-person and virtual meeting to allow people to voice their opinions about the proposed rules. All attendees who spoke during the meeting expressed support for the new law, and made some minor recommendations for the Secretary of State to consider before a final version of the law is published. Wyoming voters will be required to be a state resident for at least 30 days before casting their ballots, and must present proof of residency and citizenship when registering to vote. Last year, a similar piece of legislation was approved by the Wyoming Legislature, but vetoed by Gordon on the grounds that the regulations exceeded Gray's legal authority. The 2025 legislation grants the Secretary of State that authority. 'Providing proof of United States citizenship and proof of residency has been a key priority of our administration,' Gray said Wednesday, 'and this rulemaking marks over a year-and-a-half-long standoff with Gov. Mark Gordon and myself concerning the need for documentary proof of citizenship and residency to ensure a reasonable means to follow our constitutional obligations of ensuring only U.S. citizens and only Wyomingites are voting in Wyoming elections.' Gray said the veto last year was very troubling, and there were a lot of inaccurate statements made by the governor. 'We didn't give up. We went to the Legislature, and the people won, weighing the governor back down, and the bill became law without his signature,' he said. Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, and the former chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a hardline group of Republican lawmakers, was the primary sponsor of the bill. He spoke during Wednesday's public hearing, saying this bill will build confidence in Wyoming elections. 'Prior to introducing this bill, we conducted a poll of likely voters in the state of Wyoming. It was a very scientific poll, and this particular issue had over 74% support, and we saw that as we traveled the state,' he said. Voter Meeting From left, Elena Campbell speaks on Zoom, while C.J. Young, Election Division director; Jesse Naiman, deputy secretary of state; and Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray listen during a public comment meeting about voter identification rules in the Capitol Extension on Wednesday. Platte County Clerk Malcolm Ervin, who also serves as chairman of the Wyoming County Clerks Association, weighed in Wednesday, as well, with a few minor suggested changes. One recommendation concerned the use of Wyoming student identification cards as a document to prove residency for voter registration. He suggested the ID cards be required to display the voter's legal name, not a chosen name. He said most of his concerns regarding the 2025 legislation were quelled by the fact that there is a 'last-ditch' effort that allows people to show proof of residency or citizenship if they don't have the required documentation to vote outlined in the new law. If someone doesn't have valid identification forms or lacks a Wyoming driver's license and a Social Security number to prove residency, they can provide other documentation, such as a utility bill, bank statement or a pay stub under the proposed rules. To prove U.S. citizenship, one must produce a document already outlined in law, including a Wyoming driver's license, Wyoming ID card, a valid U.S. passport, a certificate of U.S. citizenship, a certificate of naturalization, a U.S. military draft record or a Selective Service registration acknowledgement card, a consular report of birth abroad issued by the U.S. Department of State, or an original or certified copy of a birth certificate in the U.S. bearing an official seal. 'I want to be clear that we see that adaptation as a last-ditch effort, if we've exhausted all other options. It's our last option on the table, specifically to ensure nobody is disenfranchised from voting,' Ervin said. The other concern he had that was addressed in the new legislation is that post office boxes in Wyoming will only count as proof of residency if the person lists their residential address on their voter registration application form. Another virtual attendee spoke in favor of the new law. Mark Koep, chairman of the Crook County Republican Party, echoed Rep. Bear's statements of statewide support. 'Overwhelmingly, the voters of Wyoming — and I talk to a lot of people — support these rules that you have in place,' he said. 'And so, I just want to make that heard on this chat to the media in the room: the people of Wyoming want these rules.' Since 2000, there have been four convictions of voter fraud in Wyoming, according to The Heritage Foundation, all involving U.S. citizens. When the public comment period closes on June 20, it will once again be up to Gordon to accept or reject the proposed rules. Under Gray's proposed rules, a valid Wyoming driver's license will be adequate proof of identity, residency and U.S. citizenship, so long as it lists a Wyoming address. Tribal identification cards issued by either the Eastern Shoshone or Northern Arapaho tribes, or other federally recognized tribes, will also count as proof of residency if a Wyoming address is listed. If the applicant doesn't have the forms of identification present at the time of registration, they must provide on the voter registration application form their Wyoming driver's license number and one of any of the following documents: U.S. passport; a driver's license or ID card issued by the federal government, any state or outlying possession of the United States; a photo ID card issued by the University of Wyoming, a Wyoming community college, or a Wyoming public school; an ID card issued to a dependent of a member of the United States Armed Forces; or a tribal identification card issued by the governing body of the Eastern Shoshone tribe of Wyoming, the Northern Arapaho tribe of Wyoming or other federally recognized Indian tribe. These documents would also need to list a Wyoming address to prove state residency. If a person seeking to register to vote doesn't have a valid driver's license, they must provide the last four digits of their Social Security number, along with one of the previously mentioned documents in the proposed rules. None of the documents will suffice if the applicant is not a U.S. citizen. Online comments on the proposed rules can continue to be submitted by email to the Secretary of State's chief policy officer and general counsel, Joe Rubino, at until June 20.
