Beacon Hill is bracing for a familiar fight as Massachusetts police chiefs push back against proposed cuts to a program designed to divert individuals experiencing mental health crises away from the criminal justice system. Governor Maura Healey’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget seeks to reduce funding for the jail and arrest diversion program by roughly $15 million, a move that law enforcement leaders say would undermine a vital collaboration between police and mental health professionals. The proposed budget totals $63.4 billion, a 3.8% increase in spending but the significant reduction to this specific program has sparked immediate concern.
The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association is leading the charge to restore full funding, arguing that the program has proven effective in de-escalating crises, reducing unnecessary arrests, and alleviating strain on emergency services. This isn’t the first time Healey has proposed cuts to the program; police chiefs faced a similar battle last year when the governor initially sought to revert funding to pre-pandemic levels. The current proposal, reducing funding from $19.1 million to $4 million, is drawing renewed criticism. The core of the debate centers on whether the program’s success is dependent on continued, robust funding, particularly as federal pandemic aid expires.
A Proven Track Record of Diversion and Cost Savings
The jail and arrest diversion program operates by embedding over 150 clinicians in police departments across more than 250 communities throughout the state. These clinicians work alongside law enforcement officers to respond to calls involving individuals in mental health crisis, offering on-site assessment and intervention. According to data provided by the Department of Mental Health and highlighted by Michael Bradley, president of the Chiefs of Police Association, the program’s $17.2 million investment in Fiscal Year 2025 resulted in over 29,000 crisis interventions. Crucially, it diverted over 3,300 individuals from arrest and prevented more than 6,500 emergency department visits. MassLive reported that these interventions collectively saved the state an estimated $42.8 million.
Watertown Police Department offers a local example of the program’s impact. According to a February Facebook post, the department conducted 401 co-response interventions in 2025, diverting 30 individuals from arrest and 129 from “unnecessary hospitalizations,” resulting in $497,322 in cost savings. This localized data underscores the tangible benefits of the program at the community level.
Shifting the Burden Back to Patrol Officers, Chiefs Warn
Bradley argues that reducing funding to $4 million would severely limit the program’s capacity, leading to fewer available clinicians and diminished training opportunities. In a letter to lawmakers, he warned that the need for crisis response will not decrease, and that cuts would inevitably “shift the burden back to patrol officers without adequate clinical support.” This, he contends, would result in increased reliance on emergency departments, more arrests, greater involvement of the correctional system, and higher long-term costs for the state. The concern is that without specialized intervention, individuals in crisis are more likely to conclude up in the criminal justice system, exacerbating existing challenges within that system.
The sentiment was echoed by Mansfield Police Chief Ron Sellon, who responded to a LinkedIn post by Bradley highlighting the proposed cuts with a blunt assessment: “It’s utterly ridiculous that we have to fight for this over and over.” This frustration reflects a broader concern among law enforcement leaders that the value of these programs is not consistently recognized during the budget process.
Department of Mental Health Cites Pre-Pandemic Funding Levels
A spokesperson for the state Department of Mental Health defended the proposed budget, stating that the $4 million allocation aligns with funding levels prior to the influx of one-time federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The spokesperson emphasized the department’s commitment to working with law enforcement to ensure access to mental health and substance use treatment as an alternative to incarceration. The Boston Herald reported the spokesperson as saying the department is “encouraged” to see increased participation from police departments in the program.
Still, the Chiefs of Police Association maintains that the program’s success during the pandemic demonstrated its value and the need for sustained investment. They argue that reverting to pre-pandemic funding levels ignores the progress made and the growing demand for mental health services.
Legislative Expansion and Ongoing Debate
It’s worth noting that the Department of Mental Health has acknowledged a $15.1 million expansion of the program through the legislative budget process, suggesting a potential point of negotiation. The final budget will ultimately be determined by the Massachusetts legislature, which will weigh the governor’s proposal against the concerns raised by law enforcement and advocates for mental health services.
The debate over funding for the jail and arrest diversion program highlights a broader tension between fiscal constraints and the growing recognition of the need for comprehensive mental health services. As the legislature considers the governor’s budget, the outcome will have significant implications for how Massachusetts responds to individuals in crisis and the role of law enforcement in addressing mental health challenges.
The next step in the process is legislative review and potential amendments to the governor’s proposed budget. The House and Senate Ways and Means Committees will hold hearings and deliberate on funding priorities in the coming weeks. Stakeholders are encouraged to contact their state representatives and senators to voice their concerns and advocate for continued investment in this critical program. Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
