Section 15-18-80. Policy and procedure

   (a) The prosecuting attorneys for each judicial circuit of this state shall be authorized to create and administer a Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Program. The prosecuting attorney for state courts, probate courts, magistrate courts, municipal courts, and any other court that hears cases involving a violation of the criminal laws of this state or ordinance violations shall also be authorized to create and administer a Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Program for offenses within the jurisdiction of such courts.

(b) It shall be the purpose of such a program to provide an alternative to prosecuting offenders in the criminal justice system.

(c) Entry into the program shall be at the discretion of the prosecuting attorney based upon written guidelines.

(d) The prosecuting attorney implementing said program shall create written guidelines for acceptance into and administration of the program. These guidelines shall include, but are not limited to, consideration of the following:

   (1) The nature of the crime;

   (2) The prior arrest record of the offender; and

   (3) The notification and response of the victim.

(e) No prosecuting attorney shall accept any offender into the program for an offense for which the law provides a mandatory minimum sentence of incarceration or imprisonment that cannot be suspended, probated, or deferred.

(f) The prosecuting attorney shall be authorized to assess and collect from each offender who enters the program a fee not to exceed $1,000.00 for the administration of the program. Such fee may be waived in part or in whole or made payable in monthly increments upon a showing of good cause to the prosecuting attorney. Any fee collected under this subsection shall be made payable to the general fund of the political subdivision in which the case is being prosecuted.

(g) The prosecuting attorney shall be further authorized to collect restitution on behalf of victims. Any restitution collected under this subsection shall be made payable to and disbursed by the clerk of the court in which the case would be prosecuted.

(h) No program created pursuant to this Code section shall be construed as a violation of Code Section 15-13-35 or 15-18-26.

Code 1981, § 15-18-80, enacted by Ga. L. 2000, p. 1115, § 3; Ga. L. 2006, p. 420, § 1/HB 718; Ga. L. 2012, p. 899, § 2-3/HB 1176.