Alternatives-to-incarceration task force proposes funding, standardized assessments and pilots

Judge Ketu Shahr summarized the Alternatives to Incarceration Task Force convened by the Board for Judicial Administration. The task force split into five work groups covering assessment, legal authority mapping, education, and funding; its executive summary recommends a successor implementation model, secure statewide funding, expanded community mapping, modernization of assessment tools, and immunity legislation to reduce liability barriers and incentivize use of alternatives.

Shahr said a pilot program with grant funding is underway in some counties to test alternatives and that successful pilots could encourage local funders to scale programs. The report is intended as a roadmap for expanding alternatives statewide, but Shahr acknowledged uneven county uptake driven by funding and liability concerns.