• An Alternative to Incarceration
    An Alternative to Incarceration

    PHMC's Forensic Services programs reduce recidivism and enhance community safety. We support about 10,000 justice-involved youth, adults and families each year.

    Programs
  • An Alternative to Incarceration
    An Alternative to Incarceration

    PHMC's Forensic Services programs reduce recidivism and enhance community safety. We support about 10,000 justice-involved youth, adults and families each year.

    Programs

Accelerated Misdemeanor Program

Accelerated Misdemeanor Program (AMP) offers defendants charged with non-violent misdemeanors the opportunity to have their case heard in a police district courtroom, rather than in the Municipal court system. Individuals can agree to perform community service and pay a fine, without entering a guilty plea, in exchange for the case not going to trial.

The program includes two tiers, AMP 1 and AMP 2.

  • AMP 1 participants may access the below services on a voluntary basis.

  • AMP 2 participants are stipulated by the court to participate in social services as part of the pretrial agreement.

PHMC Forensic Services provides case management support for AMP 1 and AMP 2 participants.

Services

  • Substance use assessments (conducted by the Clinical Evaluation Unit)

  • Case monitoring

  • Resource coordination

  • Behavioral health education

Based on a participant’s timely compliance with the AMP program, their arrest may be expunged.

Referrals & Eligibility

  • Defendants are accepted at the discretion of the District Attorney’s Office and after a careful review of their case. Typical candidates for each program tier:

    • AMP 1: Non-violent first-time offenders

    • AMP 2: Non-violent offenders with a recent history of non-violent prior arrests and limited number of convictions

 

PHMC's Forensic Services programs support about 10,000 individuals each year.

We serve justice-involved youth, adults and families.

Manny* used his time in PHMC’s Forensic Services program to work on his housing, substance use, employment, and legal goals. Admitted to the Intermediate Punishment Program (IPP) as a non-violent offender and evaluated for chemical dependency, he benefited from the program’s behavioral health assessments, substance use treatment, vocational training, case management, and intensive probation supervision.

 

Manny achieved sobriety throughout the IPP program and has maintained it since, and recently completed both his treatment and the IPP program. He has started a new job at a plastic company, and is in a much stronger position with respect to his employment and housing stability.

 

*Name changed to protect identity.

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