Diversion Hub Project Page
In 2018, the Arnall Family Foundation hired staff as part of a pilot program to work alongside the Public Defender’s Office and identify people who were stuck in the criminal legal system and help them find a way out. This early pilot program aimed to proactively help lower the rate of FTAs, or failure to appear, by calling people to remind them of their court dates and help them get court dates reset for those who needed it.
We quickly learned that showing up for court wasn’t as simple as it seems. Even when people knew their court date and understood the consequences of an FTA, they struggled to overcome barriers like getting the time off work, finding transportation, and securing childcare. Unfortunately, no matter the reason, missing court results in a warrant being issued and, for some, an ongoing cycle of incarceration and systemic involvement.
Recognizing these cycles, the Foundation reached out to a group of community leaders and justice experts to imagine a better way to support people stuck in the criminal legal system in Oklahoma County. They convened for the first of many meetings in July of 2019, and a shared visioning process took place over the next eighteen months. The process included focus groups, stakeholder meetings, listening sessions, and strategic planning for what would later become the Oklahoma County Diversion Hub.
While the Foundation was busy listening, meeting and planning, other wheels were in motion. In August of 2019, OKC City Council announced the MAPS 4 campaign, which included $17 million to construct a location for diversion services to assist those currently in the criminal justice system with work and life skills, among other programs. The Arnall Family Foundation agreed to provide a $20 million philanthropic donation for operational funding, which is mentioned in the MAPS 4 resolution. OKC voters approved the MAPS 4 initiative in December of 2019.
MAPS is a public improvement initiative fully funded by a temporary one cent sales tax. MAPS 4 builds on the success of previous MAPS projects by focusing on human service and neighborhood needs.
As plans were in process for implementing MAPS 4, the Diversion Hub pilot pressed on, becoming its own 501(c)3 organization and continuing work without a permanent location to call home. They quickly outgrew the closet they occupied in the Public Defender’s office and while it was fun sharing space with the Arnall Family Foundation’s marketing team, they needed more room to grow.
In June of 2020, with the support of the Foundation, Diversion Hub opened a temporary office on Tenth Street in Midtown Oklahoma City. At this point, they had expanded their services, too. No longer focusing just on FTAs, Diversion Hub offered case management and justice navigation. The organization also had a variety of onsite partners who could assist clients with state IDs and benefits, housing, employment navigation, behavioral health services, and others.
Since opening their first office in 2020, Diversion Hub has expanded into two additional offices in Canadian and Cleveland counties with plans to continue expansion across Oklahoma.
