Bridges to Justice: Community Engagement Toolkit for Adult Diversion Programs

Many ARI sites and other criminal justice diversion programs in Illinois have integrated community-oriented elements to enhance the services and supervision programming provided to participants for better individual and program outcomes. Alongside these innovative efforts, the interest in community justice among criminal justice stakeholders and decision-makers has only grown within the past decade. Increasingly, the community is no longer seen as simply a geographic setting, but rather an entity that should have a voice and role to play within the criminal justice system.

In light of growing interest, ARI compiled this toolkit to highlight program models and best practices in adult diversion programs that strengthen ties between the criminal justice system and the community. ARI identified sites with strong community involvement components and collected information on programs through site visits, observations, and interviews.

This toolkit was designed to improve operation of ARI with a road map to strengthen the capacity and role of community in local programs. This document provides guidance on integrating community when planning or operating diversion programs, both in Illinois and nationally. Snapshots of ARI sites with robust community involvement are presented. Snapshots include program descriptions, challenges related to community involvement and strategies to navigate them, and how community involvement has enhanced programs.