Supporting Our Community
The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD®) program is a community-based diversion program with three main goals:
- Reduce the harm participants cause to themselves and the community
- Reduce participants’ engagement in new criminal behavior
- Increase public safety and quality of life for all Marion County citizens.
To accomplish this, LEAD® provides tools for public safety officers to use their discretionary authority to divert individuals suspected of low-level, non-violent offenses away from jail and instead connect them with a Navigator. These Navigators are Certified Recovery Mentors or Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors who have experienced addiction firsthand, and who are able to use their lived experience, skills, and resources to connect individuals with needed community services that address their underlying substance use disorders and behavioral health concerns.
In addition to offering arrest diversions, LEAD® also provides opportunities for public safety officers and community partners to submit social referrals, which allow for individuals who meet LEAD® criteria to preemptively enroll into services prior to further criminal justice engagement