Created in 2015 by and operated under the administration of State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, AIM to B’More (AIM), is an alternative to incarceration that improves the quality of life for low-level felony drug offenders. Merging accountability with real opportunities for self and situational development and sustainability, amenable and successful participants graduate without a criminal record and with a career. While it is recognized that certain criminal offenses may require confined and secure settings, problem solving initiatives and approaches, similar to AIM, provide choices to initial or continued formal processing in the criminal justice system. Equally, diversion programs reduce crime, improve practices and coordination across agencies, enhance client and victim services, reduce repetitive care and increase public trust in the pursuit of justice.
Fundamentally, AIM was modeled after former San Francisco District Attorney, Kamala Harris’s evidence-based Back on Track: A Problem Solving Reentry initiative. Existing in partnership with 24 public and private agencies, including the Division of Parole and Probation in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, AIM to B’More fills a critical void within the criminal justice system for offenders who sell drugs for income. First, participants submit to an amenability assessment of serious or chronic behavioral, social and psychological disorders and barriers; undergo treatment deemed necessary; and are encouraged to work with the program’s licensed certified clinical social worker to develop a tentative action plan based on his or her evolving needs. Participants are offered a two-year supervised probation, including 100 hours of community service, career coaching, and are required to maintain consistent full time employment for one year. Upon successful completion of AIM, including full compliance with the terms of a 2-year supervised probation, the state will initiate and facilitate the defendant’s timely petition for expungement.
Overall, AIM services a population that is 98% Black and predominantly (86%) male. Contextually, 60% of participants have their high school diploma or are under 24 years old and 80% are working full-time. Remarkably, AIM’s success rate is 68% and its recidivism rate (32%) is well below the national average (68%). To date, 98% of AIM graduates have full time employment.
To learn more about the Eligibility Criteria for participation in the AIM to B'More Program or for additional information, contact Adult Violence Prevention Coordinator, Dorian Walker, at 443-384-7781 or DWalker@stattorney.org, or Paralegal, Dimitria Smith, at 443-984-7772 or DSmith@stattorney.org.
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