Diversion and Recovery Center

Expressed support from UT Health Houston for the proposed pre-arrest diversion pilot program based on stakeholder interviews.

Jorge Estevez, an organizer with the harm reduction movement and a person in recovery, urged the committee to adopt a humane, public health-based approach to diversion, not coercion. He argued that carceral systems perpetuate harm, especially for marginalized communities, and that harm reduction is the most effective pathway to recovery, emphasizing the need for non-coercive, low-barrier support.

Susan Yerkes, chair of the Bayer Area Harm Reduction Coalition, expressed strong support for the diversion center, emphasizing its potential to help individuals with substance abuse and mental illness. She highlighted the importance of non-coercive, lasting treatment and peer support, and suggested including harm reduction organizations in an advisory capacity.