Atlanta Mayor Tries to Secretly Replace Popular Diversion Program
*Disclaimer: PAD has never expended more than $2.5M annually to support this work, although we were authorized to spend more our first year of 311 operations.
Nationwide calls for police reform put new pressure on Atlanta to close its city jail
Atlanta already has one alternative to jail. The Atlanta/Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative (PAD) is a program for those whose arrests stem from substance use, mental illness, or extreme poverty.