Assessing the Outcomes of Police Diversion for Minor Cannabis Possession
Jun 15, 2017
The Australian Institute of Criminology has published a research paper titled "Police diversion for cannabis offences: Assessing outcomes and cost-effectiveness". The paper provides an overview of a research project that considered the outcomes of police diversion, including the different costs and outcomes for particular diversion practices, and to compare whether diversion is cost-effective in relation to traditional criminal justice system responses. The authors found that cannabis diversion costs much less than a criminal charge and that people diverted reduced their drug use and offending behaviour. People with a prior offence or no previous engagement with the criminal justice system tended not to reoffend whereas those from lower socioeconomic circumstances tended to reoffend as they were more likely have multiple complex needs.