ArticleThe International journal on drug policy2022
Experiences with the Philadelphia police assisted diversion program: A qualitative study.
Article in The International journal on drug policy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Frequent police contact and nonfatal overdose among people who use drugs in rural Appalachia.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2026Article
- Somebody's going to emergency, somebody's going to jail: pre-booking diversion and officer discretion.Health & justice · 2026Article
- Police officer Perspectives on a Pre-booking Diversion Program for People who use Drugs in Philadelphia.Journal of drug issues · 2024Article
- Linkage facilitation for opioid use disorder in criminal legal system contexts: a primer for researchers, clinicians, and legal practitioners.Health & justice · 2024Article
- Resident perspectives on a pre-booking diversion program.Contemporary drug problems · 2024Article
- Disability-Adjusted Life-Years for Drug Overdose Crisis and COVID-19 Are Comparable During the Two Years of Pandemic in the United States.Value in health : the journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe U.S. relies far too heavily on punitive criminal justice strategies to address problems that are better prevented and resolved through social and health services. The resulting harms are especially large and longstanding for people trapped in the failed War on Drugs. Philadelphia launched a Police Assisted Diversion (PAD) program to address the highest rates of poverty, incarceration, and fatal overdose among large cities in the U.S. PAD enables police officers to connect people with supportive services in many instances that would otherwise result in arrest or through outreach when no crime is suspected.
methodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 clients, 15 police officers, and 12 other personnel involved with the program. Data were gathered in 2019 and 2020 and analyzed using standard qualitative methods.
resultsPAD represents a new less-punitive model for responding to illegal purchasing of drugs, possession of drugs, prostitution, and retail theft in Philadelphia. Clients reported mostly positive experiences with the program, identifying the primary benefits as avoided arrest and relational support from affiliated service providers. Police officers expressed support for the program in principle but skepticism about its effects in practice, questioning the quality of available services. Program personnel and police officers described multi-sectoral collaboration as essential to addressing frequent and diverse logistical challenges, including overly restrictive eligibility criteria, mistrust between police and service providers, and coordination across different neighborhoods. Finally, all three groups suggested that people can only benefit from service linkages when they are ready to engage and that inadequate access to resources like housing limits program effectiveness.
conclusionsThe PAD program is a promising public health intervention for diverting people away from punishment and towards services to address unmet social and health needs. But increasing investments in training and in other supportive services is essential to sustainable and transformational change.
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