Diversion Hub

In observance of Juneteenth, Diversion Hub willl be closed on 6/19/2024. #juneteenth #freedomday #okdiversionhub #okc

What is a #diversion program? Why are diversion programs good investments? How do they improve the criminal legal system and our communities as a whole? Diversion programs offer an alternative to traditional prosecution and incarceration, focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment. These programs improve the criminal legal system in several important ways, including: ?? Reducing recidivism -- by addressing root causes and underlying issues such as substance abuse, mental health, or lack of access to education and employment skills. By tackling these root causes, participants are less likely to reoffend. ?? Reducing prison/jail populations -- by diverting individuals away from jail and prison, these programs help reduce overcrowding, which can improve conditions for those who are incarcerated and the staff who care for them. ?? Lowering Costs -- diversion programs are often less expensive than incarceration. Costs associated with prison/jail, including housing, healthcare, and security, are significantly higher than those for community-based programs. In addition, by helping individuals stay out of prison, these programs enable them to remain in the workforce, contributing economically to their communities and reducing the financial burden on tax dollars. ?? Greater sense of belonging and connection to community -- when an individual is not removed from their home in the criminal legal process, they are able to more easily maintain relationships with family, continue working, and feel a greater sense of support/belonging. Diversion programs sometimes involve community service and engagement, which can enhance public safety by increasing a sense of connection between community members. Diversion programs provide a comprehensive approach to criminal justice that focuses on rehabilitation, support, and reintegration rather than punishment. They offer benefits not only to the individuals involved but also to the broader community and the criminal justice system as a whole. I am grateful to work with programs like Diversion Hub, TEEM - The Education and Employment Ministry Inc., and others who are committed to offering folks options and opportunities--even when they've been through difficult situations or have made mistakes. We're all imperfect and some flaws/mistakes are judged more harshly than others. Unfortunately, our judgements don't always/often result in better outcomes for folks. However, when we provide grace and better options, I believe better outcomes prevail more often than not. ??

Last week, the Inasmuch Foundation Community Fellowship Class of 2024 gathered for orientation at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The Fellows officially joined their host sites on Monday, June 3 and we are so excited to see what this incredible group of students can accomplish this summer. Please join us in congratulating this year's class! ?? 2024 Community Fellowship Class ?? Coleman Bixler at Wings A Special Needs Community and Thunder Cares ?? Anna Boevers at United Way of Central Oklahoma ?? Diana Calderon at Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum ?? Summer Camper at Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum ?? Julia Coats at Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum ?? Sarah Cothran at Calm Waters Center for Children and Families ?? Andrew Coyle at OKC Innovation District ?? Emerson De Leon Alvaraez at Latitude Legal Alliance ?? Anusha Fathepure at KOSU ?? Tyner Ferguson at YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City ?? Mason Hunt at KGOU Public Radio ?? Elijah Jones a OKC Good ?? Meg Miller at Focus on Home ?? Sasha Ndisabiye at NonDoc Media ?? Elijah Nicholson at Diversion Hub ?? Emily Olson at Palomar ?? Jake Ramsey at Oklahoma Watch ?? Molly Rops at ReMerge of Oklahoma County ?? Julian Ruger at RestoreOKC ?? Jake Schwartz at The Verge OKC ?? Katherine Sparling at Palomar ?? Clara Steegborn at OKC Redevelopment Corporation (The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City) ?? Kennedy Thomason at Oklahoma Voice ?? Jazz Wolf at The Frontier To learn more about the Inasmuch Foundation Community Fellowship, visit https://loom.ly/xCl-eTQ.

The Block Party is less than 24 hours away! TOMORROW, 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. Join us for: Delicious food & refreshments (including epic snow cones from SasquatchOKC!) Music and entertainment by @djshakespeare_ Fun games for all ages! Awesome giveaways! Free summer necessity bags for Diversion Hub clients. Don't miss the chance to celebrate our amazing community and have a blast! See you there! #DiversionHubAnniversary #CommunityCelebration #SeeYouThere #blockparty #okc #summer #2024

Don't miss this opportunity to clear your warrants and take control of your legal situation! Another Warrant Clearing Event is happening on Saturday, June 8th! Individuals will receive assistance clearing their misdemeanor, traffic, and cost warrants, and resolving probation violations (failure to pay/report violations only—no new crimes). Staff from the Oklahoma County District Court will be on site to help people pay their fines and fees, establish a payment plan, or schedule new court dates. @okcteem, @livefreeokc, @urbanleagueok, and other service organizations will be present! #oklahomacounty #warrantclearing #criminallegalreform #secondchance #legalhelp #communityevent

Please share! If you know someone who has a misdemeanor, traffic, probation violation, or cost warrant, encourage them to attend this month's Oklahoma County Warrant Clearing event. They can get their warrant cleared by paying fees, getting on a payment plan, or resetting their court date. Join us from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday, June 8th. ?? Diversion Hub, 220 NW 10th Street in Oklahoma City.

We are so incredibly excited that Brigitte Biffle has been officially appointed the Chief Public Defender of Oklahoma County?????? Ms. Biffle has spent her legal career fighting for the most vulnerable members of our community. We look forward to working with her to improve outcomes for those in the criminal legal system. Thank you for your advocacy and hard work - we are so proud to support you as the new Chief!

Incarceration isn't the answer to public safety. If it was, #Oklahoma may just be the safest place on earth. This graphic from Prison Policy Initiative is an important reminder of where we are at with our approach to crime. It's my belief that we can choose more rehabilitative measures than locking people up. People don't become healthier/better citizens in our jails and prisons. I hope for an Oklahoma where we have both lower rates of incarceration and lower rates of crime--AND I know these two can coincide. I hope for an Oklahoma where families are not broken by violence, poverty, incarceration, and systems that aren't supportive of our future. We collectively got here and we will continue to collectively address the challenges we've created for ourselves and our neighbors.

In observance of Memorial Day, we will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2024 to honor those who gave all for our freedom. We will reopen on Tuesday at regular hours. #MemorialDay #NeverForget #okc #longweekend #closing

Thanks to OK County Commissioner Carrie Blumert & Lou Leake for visiting Diversion Hub! They came by to learn more about how our programs have grown & how we continue to support our community members involved in the criminal legal system. We appreciate their support and all of the hard work they put in to better our community! #community #criminallegalreform #okcounty #reform #rehabilitation #restorativejustice