LaVina Best has a criminal record she isn’t very proud of.

Her path on the wrong road started out young as a stripper and progressed to drugs like methamphetamine. Although she’s been drug free for a number of years, she still continued to make wrong decisions in her life as a thief stealing whatever she wanted just to resell it for half the cost on the street, she said.

Currently, Best is in the Midwest City jail serving time on a larceny charge. Best said she’s been in almost every city jail in Oklahoma County and even in the county jail, as well as others in surrounding counties.

The 38-year-old hopes to put that life behind her, though, if she qualifies for Midwest City’s new diversion program for inmates.

Approved in November by councilmembers, the program officially got underway last week with its first participant. The city’s goal with the program is to reduce the number of repeat offenders they see in the city jail, specifically those with mental health or substance abuse problems.

If successful, the program should become a model for city jails around the nation, Mayor Jack Fry said, and it will all have started here in Midwest City.

Bob Corneilson, who oversees jail operations and the department’s crisis intervention team, is in charge of the program that's a partnership between the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Corneilson said the department has been looking at bringing such a program to the city's jail for over a year now.

"Even though there are similar programs at the county level, Midwest City will be the first municipality in Oklahoma to have this program," said Police Chief Brandon Clabes. "We think this speaks well of our leadership and of our police officers who are willing to participate in it.  Ours could become a model for other communities across the state."

Through the program, approved offenders will be linked to appropriate services and monitored for treatment compliance and substance abstinence.  In addition, police personnel may make other recommendations in the offender’s court proceedings that could lead to reduced misdemeanor charges and/or dismissals.

Cornelison said the department hopes to be able to accept as many as 25 offenders into the program at one time.

Only offenders with misdemeanors will qualify for the program.

Helping those that fall down

"Since 2004, our Police Department has taken a pro-active position in the area of crisis intervention within the community.  Every day our officers are called upon in some capacity to exercise their training in crisis intervention," said Cornelison. "It has become a part of the job."

"The new Diversion Project will allow us to possibly make a bigger difference in the lives of our citizens who qualify and want to receive help for the issues that keep getting them into trouble. This is the primary purpose of the program.  There are so many repeat offenders in the city jail due to their untreated behavioral health issues."

While some might consider the diversion as a "get-out-of-jail free," is it actually far from that, said Cornelison.

"Every participant will be required to follow strict rules and guidelines in order to stay in and complete the program," he said. "But, it is an opportunity for those who qualify to have a second chance to better themselves and get the help they need."

Funding talk

Funding for the program is being provided by the City of Midwest City and the state department of mental health.

ODMHSAS with Commissioner Terri L. White and the city have agreed to jointly fund a full-time project coordinator, who will be embedded at the police department offices.

Both parties will fund half of the coordinator’s salary, who has been chosen from the staff of the Red Rock Behavioral Health Services.

Clabes explained the city’s funding portion will be paid for through the departments’ jail fund.  The jail fund is a revenue generating fund from phone services, housing prisoners, incarceration fees, etc.  Thus, this project will not be funded by the taxpayers of Midwest City, Clabes said.

"These programs work to not only change lives, but to reduce costs borne by the community to address the negative consequences of untreated mental illness and addiction.  This is a proactive approach on the part of Midwest City to address the root cause of the problem, save tax dollars and protect the health of the community.  We are happy to be a partner on this great initiative," White said.