ORLANDO, Fla. — State Attorney Aramis Ayala announced Thursday a new three-tiered drug diversion program aimed at keeping low level drug offenders out of jail.
One tier involves dropping charges for certain people caught with dangerous drugs such as heroin, cocaine and fentanyl.
This new program involves a lot of education and community service.
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Ayala said she wants to try something new because the current system of putting low-level offenders behind bars does not work and it doesn’t keep them from reoffending.
“In 2018, nearly 3,000 cases were submitted to my office for possession of misdemeanor cannabis and a little more than 2,000 cases for possession of drug paraphernalia,” Ayala said.
Ayala said imposing mandatory minimum sentences for these low-level offenders costs taxpayers millions of dollars.
“The purpose of this new drug-diversion policy is to maintain offender accountability while offering them an opportunity to get the help that they will need,” Ayala said.
The program is separated into three tiers: In level one, cases involving low level possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia, offenders will complete a one-hour course and charges will be dismissed. In level two, offenders caught with illegal narcotics including heroin and fentanyl will have to complete community service and avoid rearrests for six months to avoid jail time. Level three involves those who violate terms of level two or appear to have a drug addiction that requires treatment. Drug-addicted offenders will be ordered to go to rehab to avoid jail time.
“In 2018, my office had over 5,000 cases that would have been eligible for level 2 diversion,” she said.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina released a statement earlier Thursday saying, “There are some elements of the policy we need clarified from a law enforcement perspective."
Ayala said already this year, there have been more than 3,000 felony drug cases that may have been eligible for this program, which goes into effect in August.
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