Dr. Cory R. Lepage, UAA Justice Center faculty, and Prof. Jeff D. May, J.D., UAF Justice Department, recently completed the feasibility assessment of a pretrial diversion program in the Anchorage Municipal Prosecutor's Office. This report, "The Anchorage, Alaska Municipal Pretrial Diversion Program: Initial Outcome Assessment," is phase 1 of the assessment. Seneca Theno is the Municipal Prosecutor in the Office of the Municipal Attorney. The general goal of pretrial diversion (PTD) programs is to "divert" offenders from adjudication and possible incarceration to a program with specific conditions for compliance. The Municipal Prosecutor's Office established a pretrial diversion alternative in 2001 which is typically offered to individuals with non-violent offenses or with no or minimal criminal history. Early in the processing of a case - often at arraignment - if program criteria are met, the offender is offered diversion as an alternative to traditional court case processing.
