Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) is a
pretrial intervention program
The Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI) is a program targeted at providing first-time offenders charged with non-violent crimes with an opportunity to avoid the crippling consequences often associated with a felony criminal conviction, and attempts ...
in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryland to its south, West ...
, United States for non-violent
offenders with no prior or limited record.
The primary purpose of the program is the
rehabilitation of the offender and secondarily the prompt disposition of charges, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming trials or other court proceedings. Accordingly, Defendants are generally required to waive certain constitutional rights in exchange for consideration of their case for ARD.
The aim of the program is to intervene at an early state, so that steps can be taken to prevent future incidents of a similar nature.
Candidates admitted into the program are closely screened by the
district attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
’s office. To be accepted into an ARD program, the defendant has to agree to certain conditions such as making restitution or completing substance abuse treatment.
While in an ARD program, defendants are placed under supervision, similar to
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
. They may also be ordered to do
community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...
.
The defendant doesn't have to admit to any wrongdoing when applying for ARD, but must plead guilty to any summary offenses, usually violations of the
motor vehicle code. The court may impose costs and assessments, but not a fine. Roughly 90% of the people in the ARD program have been arrested for
driving under the influence
Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (drug), alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether re ...
of
alcohol
Alcohol may refer to:
Common uses
* Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds
* Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life
** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages
** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
or a
controlled substance
A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession and use is regulated by a government, such as illicitly used drugs or prescription medications that are designated by law. Some treaties, notably the Sing ...
.
The maximum period of supervision for someone on ARD is two years. After successfully completing the program, the ARD offender may petition the court to have the charges dismissed and the case
expunged
In the common law legal systems of the world, legal system, an expungement or expunction proceeding, is a type of lawsuit in which an individual who has been arrested for or convicted of a crime seeks that the records of that earlier process be Re ...
. Offenders who do not comply with the conditions of the program may be removed from the program and the case will be placed back on the trial list.
See also
*
Pretrial Intervention Program
The Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI) is a program targeted at providing first-time offenders charged with non-violent crimes with an opportunity to avoid the crippling consequences often associated with a felony criminal conviction, and attempts ...
(
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
)
Notes
* The Pennsylvania Cod
Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD)* County of Chester, Pennsylvania. Adult Probation and Parole Departmen
A.R.D. Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program* J. Timothy George
Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (Ard)
Pennsylvania law