Atlanta’s jail diversion program resumed services today, Jan. 6, after a months-long contract dispute with Mayor Andre Dickens’ office was resolved.
Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD), a nonprofit founded in 2017, assists residents experiencing extreme poverty, mental health issues or substance abuse avoid arrest and jail time by connecting them to community resources. The organization’s mobile response teams respond to calls made to the ATL311 hotline and Atlanta Police Department.
PAD suspended its mobile response services on Jan. 1 after it did not reach an agreement with the mayor’s office on a renewed contract by Dec 31, when the contract expired.
The mayor’s office delayed executing a $5 million, two-year contract with PAD approved in November by the Atlanta City Council. The council also approved two two-year contract renewals. Administrators said they were concerned PAD’s millions in city funding was not resulting in enough assistance to people in crisis find housing or jobs and demanded more metrics be included in the contract.
PAD said in a news release that now that a contract has been executed, it plans to hire additional staff to expand hours, conduct a public awareness campaign to encourage calls to 311 instead of 911, and implement a public dashboard which will offer transparency and data-driven insights as the program grows.
“We are committed for the long-haul and we are just getting started,” said PAD Deputy Director Denise White in the news release. “Doing this work allows us to transform a system of punishment into one of restoration.”
Original story
Atlanta’s jail diversion program announced Jan. 1 it has suspended community response services to residents experiencing homelessness or mental health issues because its contract with the city has expired.
Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD) posted on social media that its contract with the city expired Dec. 31, and it was halting its mobile response services to ATL311 and the Atlanta Police Department until a new contract was agreed upon.
In a news release, the city said the APD’s HOPE (Homeless Outreach Prevention and Engagement) team would provide diversion services “until a new contract can be finalized with a qualified contractor.”
PAD’s announcement comes after a months-long contract dispute between the nonprofit and Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration. Dickens’ top officials have said they are concerned PAD is not getting people off the streets based on the millions in funding the organization has been provided by the city over the years.
A Jan. 2 city news release said, “The previous agreement lacked the necessary performance metrics that would ensure taxpayers were getting the services for which they paid. The updated contract, complete with new performance metrics, was agreed to by PAD.”
But PAD counters it is not a law enforcement agency and will not move someone or force someone take actions without their consent. Instead, PAD employees build rapport with individuals to determine immediate needs and work with them to reduce harm reduction to themselves and others.
The Atlanta City Council finally voted on Nov. 18 to approve extending PAD’s $5 million contract for two years.
Councilmember Amir Farokhi, the lead sponsor of the legislation to extend PAD’s contract, told Rough Draft he was “disappointed that things have fallen apart.”
“Regardless of who is at fault, the city needs mobile support services. We are safer for it and I trust this public safety service will be restored to full strength as soon possible,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
