Use of Tarrant County’s Jail Diversion Center should increase thanks to an expanded list of misdemeanor offenses eligible to be diverted.

Expected outcomes: More people will receive appropriate care and fewer detainees will be in jail due to mental health or addiction issues.

What they’re saying: “The Tarrant County Jail Diversion Center has already shown great success in diverting individuals away from the criminal justice system and towards more appropriate care and services,” Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said. “With this expansion, we can expect even greater outcomes and a reduction in the number of individuals who end up in jail due to untreated mental health or addiction issues. Additionally, the expansion of this program will benefit officers by saving valuable time on calls, reduce the possible need to use force, and help alleviate jail overcrowding for misdemeanor offenses.”

Tarrant County Precinct 1 Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks, chair of the Mental Health Jail Diversion Advisory Committee, said: “We have agreed on an expansion of charges that are acceptable for the Mental Health Diversion Center and found a way to transfer persons from the County Jail to the Diversion Center. It will make a huge difference in fulfilling the mission of the Diversion Center to the citizens of Tarrant County.”

Previously, criminal misdemeanor trespass was the only eligible offense that allowed a detained person to be taken to the Mental Health Jail Diversion Center instead of being booked into the Tarrant County Jail.

Under the new plan, these offenses are eligible:

• Misdemeanor theft
• Possession of marijuana
• Disorderly conduct
• False report
• Terroristic threat if there is no violence

In addition to expanding eligible charges, there is a new process at the Tarrant County Jail. During the book-in process, a conference between My Health My Resources (MHMR), the originating law enforcement agency and the Tarrant County jail supervisor will determine if charges can be dropped and the individual diverted to the center.

All offers of diversion are made at the discretion of the law enforcement officer. The detained person must volunteer to be taken to the diversion center.

The center opened in January 2022. At full capacity, it can accommodate about 40 people.