Providing connection to care as an alternative to police involvement, arrest, and incarceration
The Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative is an Atlanta-based non-profit organization that provides an alternative to police response and diversion from jail for people experiencing extreme poverty, problematic substance use, or mental health concerns.
How can you
request PAD?
Dial 311, follow the prompts to request PAD for issues of community concern, including extreme poverty, substance use, and mental health distress.
AVAILABLE MONDAY – FRIDAY
FROM 7 AM 12 AM
Our Approach
PAD reduces the number of people arrested and incarcerated by providing timely on-scene response to calls from 311, 911 and law enforcement. PAD’s approach addresses people’s immediate needs and offers long-term sustainable care and legal navigation.
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Through a partnership with ATL311, PAD’s Community Response team works with the City of Atlanta, allowing community members to request PAD for on-scene, immediate aid as an alternative to police response.
LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Pre-Arrest Diversion: PAD regularly receives pre-arrest diversion referrals from 911 and law enforcement. Law enforcement can refer to PAD directly or bring people detained for unmet needs at the Center of Diversion and Services for 24/7 pre-arrest diversion.
Post-booking: PAD identifies and diverts people who have already been booked in jail with charges related to extreme poverty, substance use, and mental health distress.
PAD provides long-term case management to people diverted directly by law enforcement, those brought to the Center for Diversion & Services, and people diverted from Fulton County Jail post-booking.
Volunteer
Become a PAD HERO. Advocate for community safety and wellness by volunteering with PAD.
Programs & Services
PAD’s programs include community crisis response, care navigation and case management for individuals involved with the legal system, and community engagement focused on advancing alternatives to traditional policing.
Community Response
Food • Water • Hygiene supplies • Referrals to social services • Transportation
PAD Community Response serves thousands of Atlantans with unmet needs every year, providing immediate aid like food, water, hygiene supplies, referral to social services, and needed transportation.
Care
Navigation
Case management • Legal assistance • Reconnection with family • Mental and behavioral health assistance
PAD offers case management to people who have been diverted by law enforcement along with anyone referred to PAD with open court cases in the City of Atlanta or Fulton County. PAD Care Navigation currently provides case management to over 300 enrolled participants.
Community Engagement
Trainings • Tabling • Volunteer program • Outreach with partner organizations
Through engaging with hundreds of local businesses, community and faith-based organizations, as well as conducting trainings and hosting a regular volunteer program, PAD Community Engagement equips Atlantans to respond to crises with care and move away from carceral responses.
"I called PAD to help a man who was sleeping on the street. It wasn’t even 30 minutes before they came and gave him food and clothing and talked to him about resources he could use."
– Testimonial from a Community Member.
PAD in the News
Donate
Your support makes our work possible! PAD relies on both public funding and private contributions from people like you to sustain our work.
Donate today to help us continue advocating for the compassionate care our communities need.
