The Michigan Supreme Court on Monday announced continued funding for its nearly 200 diversionary courts.
Over $5 million was allocated to the state’s 35 mental health courts. Another $11 million is going to drug courts and $900-thousand will go towards veteran’s courts.
Those courts work with low level, non violent offenders to keep them from going to jail or prison.
State Court Administrator Milton Mack said diversionary courts are a benefit to the public.
“The public benefits by having someone reenter the labor force, avoiding the cost of incarceration, and avoiding the consequences of criminal behavior,” he said.
Mack said the courts also show a clear benefit for participants. Speaking specifically of mental health, he said participants reported both better long term mental health and quality of life.
“We have concrete evidence that criminality declines, that jail usage declines, and at the same time we have evidence that people become more engaged in their mental health treatment after their experience than before,” he said.
Court data also show an increase in employment for participants.
Mack said the justice system will continue to use the diversionary model.
“The justice system is moving towards a problem solving model and is moving away from the traditional adversarial model,” he said. “I expect the number of problem solving courts will continue to increase over time.”
Michigan’s problem solving courts have been expanding quickly. In 2012 there were only 108 programs. Today, there are 194.