Sen. Raphael Warnock steered $4 million in federal funds to convert part of Atlanta's city jail into a "Diversion center" run by a George Soros-backed nonprofit that seeks to "Transition away" from the criminal justice system.
Which received city council approval in February, will provide police with an "Alternative" to incarcerating suspects who are "Experiencing poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, or mental health issues," according to Atlanta lawmakers.
The center will be co-managed by the Soros-funded Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative and will help the city "Transition away from legal system responses that utilize jails or arrest for concerns related to homelessness, mental health, substance use, and poverty," according to a memorandum of understanding between the Atlanta city government and PAD. Warnock requested the $4 million earmark in June amid rising crime in Atlanta, which has seen a spike in burglaries, rapes, and homicides.
The center will be an expansion of PAD's ongoing partnership with the city.
A task force convened by Atlanta's mayor last year recommended that the city revise the Atlanta Police Department's performance evaluation system to "Incentivize" diversions through the PAD program and "Deincentivize" arrests for eligible offenders.
Unlike pre-trial diversion programs-which take place after an individual has been charged and can help avoid jail time or a trial-pre-arrest diversion allows suspects to avoid arrest completely.
The center was first proposed by former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose decisions to relax drug laws, reduce enforcement against shoplifting, eliminate cash bail, and shut down the city's cooperation with federal immigration enforcement significantly reduced the number of inmates in the city jail.
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Warnock Steered Federal Cash to Convert Atlanta Jail Into Soros-Backed 'Diversion' Center
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