Pubdate: Sun 31 July 2005
Source: Daily Sentinel, The (Grand Junction, CO)
Copyright: 2005 Cox Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.gjsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2084
Author: Kristen Senz
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

ADULT DIVERSION CLEANS SLATE FOR MORE FIRST-TIME OFFENDERS

Some People Deserve A Second Chance

That's the rationale behind the adult diversion program at the Mesa
County Criminal Justice Services Department, a program that's
gathering steam as it collects new board members and hears dozens more
cases than it has in the past.

Adolph, a surveyor, was cited for false reporting after a motor
vehicle accident.

Savannah, a Fruita Monument High School graduate, was caught with a
marijuana pipe in her car.

Melissa, a hotel clerk, was issued a ticket for being a minor in
possession of alcohol.

Traci, an office assistant, left a door open, and her toddler snuck
out of the house, only to be picked up by police a few minutes later.
She was ticketed with child abuse not resulting in injury.

Having more than doubled its case load from 2003 to 2004, the adult
diversion program allows first-time offenders charged with minor
crimes to maintain a clean record, if they complete assigned community
service hours.

In 2004, 386 cases were handled through adult diversion, compared with
155 in 2003, and Program Manager Charles Kitto said he anticipates
even more cases will be referred this year.

Adult diversion, also known as the Restorative Justice program,
started in 1999 in Mesa County. It fizzled out not long after that,
having only one board member for a time, but now it's back in full
swing.

The biggest thing we've done is just to get more community members
involved,” Kitto said, adding there now are about 20 board members who
serve one week per month on the board.

The board, which is made up of people who work inside and outside the
criminal justice system, meets every Wednesday and hears the
circumstances under which a person was cited for a minor offense.
Then, by learning more about the person's interests and abilities, the
board is able to craft a public service plan to suit each offender and
the community.

More than 150 local organizations are registered to receive community
service from Restorative Justice clients.

The program keeps first-time offenders out of the courtroom, and keeps
their records clear, if they complete the number of community service
hours set by the District Attorney's Office and assigned by the adult
diversion board. They also must pay a $75 processing fee, which keeps
the program running, Kitto said.

Adolph, who speaks English and Spanish, agreed to serve 11 hours at
Palisade Migrant Child Services and 12 hours at the Western Slope
Veteran's Cemetery.

Savannah, who wants to study pediatric nursing, will serve 17 hours at
Family Health West and 18 hours at Heritage Senior Home.

Melissa, who has five dogs, will serve 10 hours at Desert Edge Equine
Therapy and 11 hours at Habitat for Humanity.

Traci, who plans to request housing from Habitat for Humanity, will
work for that organization to complete her community service hours.
She also will help out at Go-El Inc., a nonprofit organization that
supplies families with free products, a service she herself has used.

The most common visitors to the Restorative Justice program are people
age 18 to 20 who have been ticketed for underage possession of alcohol
for the first time. Other minor, first-time offenses, such as petty
theft, harassment and disorderly conduct are eligible for the program
as well, Kitto said.

Sheriff's Department Investigator Matt McChesney serves on the board,
and says the idea of Restorative Justice is to restore the accused
person to good standing in the community in a creative way that
satisfies all the stakeholders: the community, the state, the offender
and the victim.

The term Restorative Justice refers to a theory of law enforcement that
usually involves elements such as victim-offender mediation and restitution,
in conjunction with community service.

The Mesa County program fits better into the mold of a diversion
program, but Kitto said he'd like to add a drug education piece for
young offenders. The local board already has the option to order
offenders to complete other tasks, such as writing papers or resumes,
job shadowing and parenting classes.

Kitto said he'd like to see the Restorative Justice program expand
further to include other alcohol-related offenses and possibly felony
cases.

If the district attorney's office would like to do that, we're more than
willing to have the board see those types of cases, Kittos said. The more we
can use this program and expand it, the better. District Attorney Pete
Hautzinger put the wheels in motion for the adult diversion program back in
1998. Because it takes cases out of the county court system, it does save
money for taxpayers, he said, but he couldn't say how much.

Given the state's budget crunch, every little bit helps, Hautzinger said.

Adams County has a full-fledged adult diversion program that diverts
some felony cases out of the state system, a procedure Hautzinger said
he's not entirely comfortable with.

I would take a really hard look before I would think about expanding it, he
said.

Charges for driving under the influence of alcohol or with ability
impaired by alcohol, by law, can't be diverted to an alternative
program, Hautzinger said.

In addition to an upswing in the number and diversity of adult
diversion board members, the number of cases going through the program
could be a reflection of an overall increase in the number of cases
being filed locally in county and state court, Hautzinger said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin