Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) is a pre-booking diversion pilot program. It was originally developed with the community to address low-level drug and prostitution crimes in the Belltown neighborhood in Seattle and the Skyway area of unincorporated King County. The program allows law enforcement officers to redirect low-level offenders engaged in drug or prostitution activity to community-based services, instead of jail and prosecution.
Since its inception in 2011, LEAD has proven to be a success. Cities around the country -- including Portland -- are considering adoption of a LEAD program. This week on Prison Pipeline, host Doug McVay takes a closer look at this innovative, progressive program with his guest Lisa Daugaard, Director of the Public Defender Association in Seattle, WA.
- KBOO