Resources Spotlight Criminal justice 03 July 2019
Court diversion & deferred prosecution
What works?
Court diversion and deferred prosecution schemes can be a valuable tool for achieving a range of outcomes: reducing reoffending rates, reducing costs to the criminal justice system, and improving wider outcomes for offenders. In this review we profile 20 different diversion and deferred prosecution schemes and assess their effectiveness in relation to achieving these three overarching outcomes. We also outline the policy context surrounding deferred prosecution and identify consistent themes regarding successful implementation.