San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s budget, approved by the Board of Supervisors, transfers the city’s independent Pretrial Diversion Project to the Adult Probation Department. 

Pretrial service programs are designed for defendants who do not pose a risk to public safety and appear amenable to rehabilitation.

Mayor Daniel Lurie’s budget, recently approved by the Board of Supervisors, essentially terminates the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project — a nonprofit that for 50 years has monitored and supervised defendants released from jail while awaiting trial — and transfers that responsibility to the Adult Probation Department. 

The proposal comes after the Superior Court levied accusations of financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency against the nonprofit, despite several measures it took to address those concerns — including providing the court with regular updates demonstrating its compliance with requirements for city-contracted nonprofits. Faced with reduced staffing and services as a result of this transition, the pretrial project announced it would be shutting down in November. 

This ill-advised transfer of services to probation will reduce public safety, challenge the integrity of the pretrial process, destroy one of the strongest antidotes to crime in the Bay Area, and cost San Francisco millions more while delivering less. 

Article continues below this ad

The probation department requested $11 million per year from the city’s general fund for 54 staff, compared to the proposed $7.5 million to fund 65 positions at the Pretrial Diversion Project. And since the project also employs 40 staff members through grants it has secured, the city’s return on investment will be........

© San Francisco Chronicle