The Diversion Unit
The goal of the Diversion Unit is to engage and rehabilitate non-violent offenders with little to no criminal history. The defendant who is accepted into a Pre-Trial Diversion Program must agree to complete programs or activities as a means of personalized rehabilitation. Upon completion of the programs or activities, the accused is eligible to have his/her case administratively dismissed by the Solicitor-General.
To avoid prosecution, offenders have to complete various requirements, which can include:
- Education aimed at preventing future offenses by the offender,
- Restitution to victims of the offense,
- Completion of community service hours, and
- Avoiding situations for a specified period of time that may lead to committing another similar offense (such as contact with certain people).
Successful completion of a Pre-Trial Diversion Program will result in a dismissal of the criminal charge. In most cases the charge is eligible for record restriction (formerly known as expungement). When a case is record restricted, it is cleared or sealed from the defendant’s arrest record. Failure of the accused to complete the agreed upon program will result in the continuation of charges and prosecution of the case in court.
The different programs offered by our Diversion Unit are: