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Alex Menninger is a senior research fellow with the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, where he is evaluating a multi-site deflection program. Alex has performed research in the areas of infectious diseases, climate science, and nutritional science. His areas of interest include issues relating to refugees, the LGBTQ+ community,...

Police deflection programs offer an alternative to arrest by connecting youth to community-based services during police encounters. The Chicagoland Youth Deflection Initiative (CYDI), which allows officers to refer youth encountered during motor vehicle stops to community-based supports, established a Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to incorporate youth perspectives into the planning...

Rural, multi-jurisdictional communities face challenges developing coordinated responses that connect people with substance use and mental health needs to services instead of the justice system. We evaluated the action planning (AP) process for Empower, a multi-jurisdictional, police-led deflection program serving six counties in West Central Illinois, developed as part of...

The large number of Americans with substance use disorders and the rising number of drug overdose deaths have resulted in a need for innovative prevention and intervention strategies. The Deflection Avenues Reconnection Team (DART) program, operating in six counties in central Illinois, was developed to address these challenges. This deflection...

Rural areas often face gaps in behavioral health resources, with limited availability and the need to travel long distances to access services. To address such challenges, innovative strategies, such as police deflection programs, help connect people in rural areas to treatment without an arrest. In order to advance understanding of...

Police are called to the scene of violent crimes that involve victims who may need, but may not be offered, supportive services. To address this, a police-led deflection program, the East St. Louis Community Engagement Team (CERT), was established in Illinois. While police deflection programs have traditionally helped individuals with...

Deflection programs are an emerging approach to redirect people who have experienced police contact away from the criminal legal system and toward supportive services, with the goal of improving outcomes for individuals, communities, the justice system, and public health. The Illinois Multi-Site Deflection Initiative is a groundbreaking project aimed at...

Millions of individuals and families are affected by substance use disorders and overdose in the United States. Deflection programs provide an opportunity for law enforcement to connect individuals with substance use challenges to appropriate treatment and services to improve health and public safety outcomes. We evaluated the efforts of community...