Laramie County Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Evaluation
Project Objectives
- Assess participant needs at intake by documenting overlapping challenges across housing, employment, substance use, legal involvement, and recovery capital to understand the full scope of what Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) serves.
- Measure program reach and participant outcomes by tracking how engagement with LEAD affects recovery capital, substance use, housing stability, employment, and time spent in jail over the course of the evaluation period.
- Understand what drives the LEAD model’s effectiveness through qualitative interviews with staff and community partners to identify the structural and relational factors behind successful implementation in a rural Wyoming context.
- Identify barriers to full implementation by examining community culture, resource constraints, partnership gaps, and client engagement challenges that limit LEAD’s reach and consistency.
- Quantify the cost implications of diversion by comparing LEAD’s investment per participant against the estimated costs of continued criminal justice system involvement, shelter use, untreated substance use, and other outcomes.
- Build LEAD’s internal evaluation capacity by establishing data practices, reporting frameworks, and recommendations that the program can sustain after the formal evaluation period.
Project Description
Laramie County has Wyoming’s only Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program and one of a small number in the country operating primarily in a rural context. Housed within the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and serving Cheyenne, the program works with individuals at high risk of justice involvement due to untreated substance use, behavioral health challenges, or extreme poverty. Rather than defaulting to arrest and prosecution, LEAD connects eligible individuals to individualized case management and community services across the full spectrum of recovery capital: housing, employment, transportation, vital records, treatment, and basic needs. Omni was engaged beginning in May 2024 to evaluate the program’s implementation and outcomes over a two-year period.
Omni conducted a mixed-methods evaluation drawing on intake and recurring assessment data, service records, jail stay data, client satisfaction surveys, and qualitative interviews with all three LEAD staff and six community partners. Quantitative analysis captured changes in recovery capital scores, housing and employment status, substance use behaviors, and days in jail served before and after LEAD engagement. Omni also developed proxy cost estimates using LEAD’s financial data to examine the potential avoided costs associated with continued system cycling. A cost comparison case study illustrated, the difference between a “business as usual” path and one supported by LEAD services.
The evaluation found clear, positive signals across multiple domains. Participants showed reductions in time served in jail for both misdemeanors and felonies after engaging with LEAD, and a majority of those with recurring assessments reported improvements or stability in housing, employment, physical health, behavioral health, and substance use. Recovery capital scores increased measurably from intake to follow-up and client satisfaction was uniformly high. Our analysis identified meaningful cost-saving opportunities for individuals and systems, highlighting the value of investing in diversion as a pathway to more efficient and sustainable outcomes.
The evaluation also surfaced important contextual findings. Laramie County’s rural setting and limited service infrastructure create real constraints on LEAD’s reach. Community partners viewed LEAD as an irreplaceable resource but pointed to gaps in law enforcement buy-in, public awareness, and data infrastructure that limit the program’s ability to demonstrate and build on its impact. Omni’s recommendations address both the immediate operational improvements LEAD can make and the longer-term sustainability strategies the program needs to pursue, including diversified funding and a regular public reporting cadence. This report was prepared for Laramie County LEAD in May 2026.
Investing in wellness requires meeting individuals and communities where they are. LEAD utilizes resources to address foundational needs and give individuals the tools they need to thrive rather than cycling through systems.
Ready to get started?
Connect with us today by scheduling a discovery session with a member of our team.
