Oct 30, 2024 - News

Atlanta's diversion center now open

Thomas Wheatley

Illustration of a pair of closed handcuffs, over the handcuffs's shadow, which shows them open. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Police throughout Fulton County now have around-the-clock resources to share when people need help, but not necessarily jail.

Why it matters: Rerouting people struggling with issues like housing or substance use from incarceration to coordinated aid could help break cycles of crime and ease overcrowded jails.

Driving the news: On Monday, the city of Atlanta, the county, Georgia Justice Project and Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative, or PAD, cut the ribbon on the Diversion and Services Center.

How it works: Located in unused and separate space in the city's Downtown jail, the center will be a 24/7 drop-off for individuals experiencing mental health, housing, substance use and poverty.

Guests can obtain mental and physical health assessments and medical care from Grady Hospital System health care workers and access a sobering center.
They will also have access to food, clothing, bathrooms, showers and laundry.

Yes, and: The Georgia Justice Project will operate on-site to resolve guests' outstanding warrants with law enforcement and the courts.

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Atlanta's diversion center now open

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