Will County Diversion Program Honors First Graduates

 Posted on February 23, 2017 in Criminal Defense

Throughout the country, states and local jurisdictions have been looking for ways to help drug offenders turn away from a destructive lifestyle and toward becoming more productive members of society. Initiatives such as the Deferred Prosecution Program in Cook County have shown great promise in rehabilitating non-violent offenders while helping them avoid lengthy prison sentences and other harsh criminal penalties. This week, a program with similar goals in a neighboring county began seeing results, as Will County Adult Redeploy Illinois recognized its first graduating class.

Adult Redeploy Illinois

Created as a diversion program for non-violent offenders, Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) was established by legislation in 2009 based on a similar program that has been used in the Illinois juvenile justice system for a number of years. The aim of ARI is to reduce the number of offenders being sent into the state’s prison system and to ease the associated burden on taxpayers.

It costs on average nearly $25,000 to incarcerate one person for one year in the state of Illinois. By comparison, each participant in the ARI program costs the state only about $3,500—a reduction of more than 85 percent. What is worse, many believe, is that while in prison, offenders often have little incentive to improve their lives. “We spend $25,000 per year for you to sit and stare at a wall and do nothing,” said Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow. “Now you can be a constructive part of society.”

Will County Milestone

There are currently almost 40 ARI programs in place around Illinois. The program in Will County was established about two years ago and provides offenders with 18 months of substance abuse treatment, counseling, mental health services, and job preparation. This week, seven men and women became the first group to successfully complete the program. Their graduation ceremony was conducted in front of an audience that included inmates from the Will County jail to show that changing lives can be possible.

Contact a Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you have been charged with a drug crime or any other non-violent offense, you may have a number of options available to you. Some could help you avoid a conviction while others could reduce or all but eliminate your sentence. To learn more about the programs that are available in Illinois for non-violent offenders, contact an experienced Chicago criminal defense attorney. Call 773-276-5541 to schedule a free, confidential consultation at Luisi Legal Group today. We will work with you in protecting your rights every step of the way.

Sources:

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/02/22/adult-redeploy-illinois-graduates-first-will-county-class/a2yqhlu/

http://www.icjia.state.il.us/redeploy/