Main Office1040 Waltham Street
Lexington, MA 02421
Phone: (781) 862-3600
TTY: (781) 860-0520
Fax: (781) 863-5903
Get Directions

Contact Us
* required field

Jail Diversion

Jail Diversion is a cooperative approach between police officers and mental health professionals that focuses on creating alternatives to arrest, booking, and jail detention for people whose minor criminal behavior is directly due to mental illness, substance abuse, or developmental disabilities. The primary goal of the program is to divert these individuals from arrest and into community-based treatment and support services.

The Edinburg Center operates two Jail Diversion Programs in partnership with the Waltham and Watertown Police Departments. Both police departments have adopted a pre-booking, co-response jail diversion model. In this model, an Edinburg Center clinician is based at each police department and viewed as an integral part of the police organization. The clinician accompanies patrol officers in the community, providing a joint response to calls for service. This co-response model has proven to be a key component in changing the way law enforcement interacts with individuals whose behaviors are sparked by untreated mental illness.

To obtain more information or make a referral to our jail diversion programs, please contact:

Diane Santoro
Jail Diversion Clinician
Waltham Police Department
781-291-9678
dsantoro@edinburgcenter.org

Karen Butler
Jail Diversion Clinician
Watertown Police Department
781-291-1500
kbutler@edinburgcenter.org