LEAD Program Launched In HoCo To Help Low Level Offenders

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Starting Wednesday, Sept. 1, the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion or LEAD program will take root and enable law enforcement officers to redirect low-level offenders engaged in misdemeanor crimes to community-based services instead of prosecution and incarceration. The goal of the LEAD program is to improve public health and public safety by reducing future harm and criminal behavior caused by individuals engaged in crimes related to unmet behavioral health needs.

"It is our responsibility as a community to evaluate and improve our public safety initiatives to
ensure that we are providing the best possible outcomes for all our residents. The innovative,
thoughtful, and proven LEAD program is a more effective, public-health-based approach," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. "With LEAD, we can positively transform the way we handle criminal behavior related to problematic substance use, mental illness, chronic homelessness, poverty and other health and wellness issues."

Howard County Police will now be able to divert an individual to comprehensive case management services and peer recovery support in lieu of the normal criminal justice system cycle. In the initial phases, LEAD will be implemented by Community Outreach Division and Neighborhood Community Resource Officers within HCPD. These officers are qualified to operate with a high level of discretionary authority due to their extensive training and existing relationships within the communities they serve.

“We have seen great success with our youth diversion programs for many years and want to
provide a similar restorative justice option to our adult population,” Howard County Police Chief Lisa Myers said. “Our goal is to offer services that will best support each individual’s needs, and that may not always involve an arrest. The LEAD program will allow officers to provide an alternative that will address the root causes of criminal behavior.”

Prosecutors and police will work closely with case managers to ensure that all contacts with LEAD participants going forward, including new criminal prosecutions for other offenses, are coordinated with the service plan for the participant to maximize the opportunity to achieve behavioral change and reduce future criminal activity. The individual will receive a wide range of support services including, but not limited to, housing referrals, benefit navigation, links to primary care, mental health and recovery resources as well as job training.

“The LEAD Program, which is a multi-agency collaborative effort, spearheaded by our office, will
provide Howard County with a socially and financially cost-effective alternative to the justice
system,” Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson said. “This is about helping people in
need and avoiding long-lasting, negative consequences for individuals committing small-scale
criminal offenses.”

LEAD is an evidence-based systems approach that began in Seattle, Wash., in 2011. There are now
52 LEAD initiatives across the country with more than 17 additional programs launching nationwide.