The Issue
Arresting and jailing people who are causing disturbances or harm as a result of substance use, mental health challenges, or survival activities doesn’t serve our communities. Instead, it pushes people even further to the margins, away from the connections and resources that support recovery and wellness.
The cycle of arrest and incarceration does not address the actual issues people are struggling with. In the meantime, our communities continue to suffer from a lack of housing options and access to income, mental health services, medical care, and substance use recovery services. There is widespread agreement: we need a different approach if we want safer and healthier communities for all.
Our Approach
This is where PAD comes in. PAD fosters a new approach to community safety and wellness by engaging in creative problem-solving to respond to community concerns, and addressing people’s human needs with dignity, patience and care. PAD provides an alternative to criminal justice involvement through two core strategies:
Community Response Services: We partner with the City of Atlanta’s 311 non-emergency services line to accept community referrals for issues of concern related to mental health, substance use or extreme poverty.
LEAD Diversion Services: We accept pre-arrest diversion referrals from law enforcement, to provide an immediate alternative to arrest for individuals experiencing substance addiction, mental health concerns, or extreme poverty.
We don’t stop at immediate assistance. We also provide housing support and case management through our Care Navigation team, building relationships to support people in achieving their goals for a more stable and healthy life. Our services are grounded in the principles of harm reduction and housing first.
“What do you need?”
Our participants have reconnected with family members, started working, secured name changes and disability benefits, and resolved longstanding legal issues that had prevented them from moving forward. This is what happens when people stop being punished, and start being asked: “What do you need?”
Engagement & Advocacy
PAD is an active member of the communities we serve in order to collaboratively develop new approaches to community safety and wellness. We participate in neighborhood meetings, problem-solve with local businesses, and conduct street-based outreach and relationship-building with community members surviving on the streets or in the informal economy.
PAD advocates for policies that increase access to housing and services, and reduce the criminalization of poverty, marginalization, and behavioral health concerns. While individuals may be diverted out of the criminal legal system, there must be appropriate crisis response, housing, and recovery services to address the challenges our communities face.
PAD works closely with service and advocacy organizations to identify opportunities for increasing access to support services, reducing legal barriers, and changing punitive policies. At the county level, PAD is a member of the Fulton County Justice and Mental Health Taskforce, working to identify and implement strategies that reduce the number of individuals with mental illness in the Fulton County jail.
At the city level, PAD is a member of the Reimagining ACDC Taskforce, and our team has worked closely with other Taskforce members to develop recommendations to close the city jail and convert city ordinance violations to civil offenses.