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DECATUR, GA- DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced that 17 young adults have graduated from her office’s 2025 STRIDE pretrial diversion program.
STRIDE, which stands for Stopping Trends of Repeat Incarceration with Diversion and Education, is a voluntary diversion program that holds young adults ages 17-24 accountable for serious non-violent crimes they have committed, while also ensuring their civic and career opportunities remain intact.
Graduates successfully completed a 12-month program that encompassed several requirements including: cognitive behavioral counseling; monthly meetings; full-time work or school; community service; civic engagement; acts of restorative justice (restitution, letters of apology, etc.); and a book-based presentation.
A ceremony for the 17 participants graduating from the fifth cohort of the STRIDE program was held on Monday, Dec. 15.
“STRIDE allows young adults who make a mistake to learn from it without permanently damaging their future opportunities,” said DA Boston. “The program reduces incarceration and interrupts the cycle of recidivism. Rather than label these young people as criminals, we offered them the opportunity to become role models and contributing members of our community. The 17 individuals graduating this year have all risen to the occasion.”
DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson served as the keynote speaker for this year’s STRIDE graduation.
“In DeKalb County, we believe that public safety is not just about enforcement, it’s about prevention, opportunity, and accountability working together,” said CEO Cochran-Johnson. “Programs like STRIDE recognize that when young people enter the adult justice system, they are often at a crossroads. The question becomes: do we respond only with punishment, or do we step in with structure, education, and support that can change the trajectory of a life? STRIDE answers that question boldly.”
STRIDE participants must reside in DeKalb County, and meet one of three requirements: the charge is out of guidelines for normal pretrial diversion; they have had prior contact with the justice system, including juvenile justice, or more than one felony pending; or they are at high risk for re-offending/lack supportive structures to complete pretrial diversion independently.
Participants pledge to remain crime-free and not possess weapons during the program, and they are required to take part in a series of interventions and educational opportunities. In exchange for successfully completing the program, the District Attorney will dismiss charges.
DA Boston and her team introduced STRIDE in 2019. Six participants graduated in the first cohort of the program in October 2020, 12 participants graduated as part of the second cohort in April 2022, 15 participants graduated in the third cohort in July 2023, and 10 participants graduated in the fourth cohort in September 2024.
“In the last five years, 60 young adults have graduated from the STRIDE program with new job opportunities, self-confidence, and a renewed sense of civic responsibility,” said Boston. “I believe in them, and I look forward to their future success.”
STRIDE partners include RED, Inc., WorkSource DeKalb, American Alternative Court Services and Acivilate.
DA Boston’s Diversion and Community Alternatives Programs Unit encompasses alternatives to prosecution and treatment programs offered by the District Attorney’s Office and the Courts. The DCAP Unit creates and administers alternative solutions allowing our community to receive justice while still allowing non-violent defendants to maintain employability and positive community engagement. The Unit is led by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Lisa Moultrie and is staffed by Senior Assistant District Attorney Ashley Masset and Case Manager Tina Padilla.