We also administer the Alcohol Safety Program (ASP), a program created by the legislature in 2000 to deal with a crackdown in enforcement of underage drinking laws.
Our philosophy is that ordinary citizens who volunteer their time and energy are more effective in confronting those who have committed crimes than our court system can be, especially the first time an offender is charged with an illegal act. Our volunteers have the same perspective as those who are victimized by illegal acts, and they are committed to:
OUR GOALS
- See that the victim is made whole to the extent possible through the offender’s restitution, apology or service to the community.
- See that the community is compensated through service by the offender for the harm it has suffered;
- Help the offender realize the true human consequences and impact of his or her actions; and
- Direct the offender toward activities that will increase his or her chances of being crime free in the future.
IN FY 09 (July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009):
- We received 246 referrals to Diversion and 321 referrals to ASP, for a total of 567 clients served in the period.
- Our clients performed 6647 hours of community service to various non-profit organizations in this county, including the Red Cross, Central Vermont (CV) Food Bank, CV Hospital, the United Way, Washington County Youth Service Bureau, CV Humane Society, and local faith organizations and school systems.
- Restitution paid back to crime victims totaled $14,471.00, while donations to charities amounted to $4059.00, which comes to $18,530.00 for the year.
SINCE THE BEGINNING
- Since Diversion’s inception in this county in 1982, Diversion clients have successfully paid back their victims and the community for their offenses and have been given a fresh start with a clean record, with more than 1500 crime victims having received compensation totaling more than $400,000.
FUNDING
As a community based, non-profit program and United Way Agency in FY 09, Diversion received 50% of its funds from the Attorney General’s office; 35% from client fees, 5% from the United Way and the remaining 10% from other local sources like towns and cities. Our total cost per case last year was about $290.00 for each of 567 referrals. That is hundreds of dollars less per case than any alternative where the offender goes to court.
"Many thanks to the voters for your consistent support for Diversion over the years.
We continue to need -- and deeply appreciate -- your assistance." |
