Mental Health Diversion Laws in All 50 States
Every state handles mental health diversion differently — through pretrial diversion statutes, mental health courts, deferred prosecution or specialty court programs. Pick a state for its governing law, then drill into county and city guides.
Alabama
Ala. Code § 12-17-226 — District attorney pretrial diversion programs
Alaska
Alaska therapeutic courts (Coordinated Resources Project) — Mental health therapeutic court
Arizona
A.R.S. § 11-361 et seq. — County attorney diversion programs
Arkansas
Ark. Code § 16-10-139 — Specialty court programs
California
Cal. Penal Code § 1001.36 — Pretrial mental health diversion
Los AngelesSan DiegoSan JoseSan FranciscoFresnoSacramentoOaklandLong BeachRiversideAnaheim
Colorado
C.R.S. § 18-1.3-101 — Pretrial diversion
Connecticut
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56l — Supervised diversionary program for persons with psychiatric disabilities
Delaware
Del. Code tit. 11, § 4218 — Probation before judgment
Florida
Fla. Stat. § 394.47892 — Mental health court programs
JacksonvilleMiamiTampaOrlandoSt. PetersburgFort LauderdaleTallahasseeWest Palm Beach
Georgia
O.C.G.A. § 15-1-16 — Mental health court divisions
Hawaii
HRS § 853-1 — Deferred acceptance of guilty or no contest plea
Idaho
Idaho Code § 19-5601 et seq. — Drug Court, Mental Health Court and Family Court Services Act
Illinois
730 ILCS 168 — Mental Health Court Treatment Act
Indiana
Ind. Code § 33-23-16 — Problem-solving courts
Iowa
Iowa Code § 907.3 — Deferred judgment
Kansas
K.S.A. 22-2906 et seq. — Diversion agreements
Kentucky
KRS 533.250 — Pretrial diversion
Louisiana
La. C.Cr.P. art. 893 — Deferred imposition of sentence
Maine
17-A M.R.S. § 1348-A — Deferred disposition
Maryland
Md. Code, Crim. Proc. § 6-220 — Probation before judgment
Massachusetts
M.G.L. c. 276A — Pretrial diversion
Michigan
MCL 600.1090 et seq. — Mental health court
Minnesota
Minn. Stat. § 401.065 — Pretrial diversion
Mississippi
Miss. Code § 9-25-1 et seq. — Intervention courts
Missouri
RSMo § 478.001 — Treatment courts
Montana
MCA § 46-16-130 — Deferred prosecution
Nebraska
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-3601 et seq. — Pretrial diversion
Nevada
NRS 176A.250 — Program for treatment of mental illness (mental health court)
New Hampshire
RSA 490-G — Drug offender and mental health court programs
New Jersey
N.J.S.A. 2C:43-12 — Pretrial intervention (PTI)
New Mexico
NMSA § 31-16A-1 et seq. — Preprosecution diversion
New York
N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 170.55 — Adjournment in contemplation of dismissal
New York CityBrooklynQueensThe BronxBuffaloRochesterSyracuseAlbany
North Carolina
N.C.G.S. § 15A-1341(a1) — Deferred prosecution
North Dakota
N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-02(4) — Deferred imposition of sentence
Ohio
Ohio Rev. Code § 2951.041 — Intervention in lieu of conviction
Oklahoma
22 O.S. § 472 — Mental health court programs
Oregon
ORS 135.886 — Conditional discharge / diversion
Pennsylvania
Pa.R.Crim.P. 310-320 — Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD)
Rhode Island
R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-10-12 — Filing of complaints / deferral
South Carolina
S.C. Code § 17-22-10 et seq. — Pretrial intervention
South Dakota
SDCL 23A-27-13 — Suspended imposition of sentence
Tennessee
Tenn. Code § 40-15-105 — Pretrial diversion
Texas
Tex. Gov't Code ch. 125 — Mental health court programs
HoustonSan AntonioDallasAustinFort WorthEl PasoArlingtonCorpus ChristiPlanoLubbock
Utah
Utah Code § 77-2-5 — Diversion agreements
Vermont
3 V.S.A. § 164 — Adult court diversion
Virginia
Va. Code § 18.2-254.3 — Behavioral health dockets
FairfaxArlingtonHenrico (Richmond area)ChesterfieldLeesburgManassas area
Washington
RCW 2.30 — Therapeutic courts
West Virginia
W. Va. Code § 61-11-22 — Pretrial diversion
Wisconsin
Wis. Stat. § 971.39 — Deferred prosecution agreements
Wyoming
Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-301 — Deferral of proceedings