Shelby DA to Implement Gun Felon Diversion Program to Address Racial Disparities - Articles

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Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Jun 11, 2024

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office is implementing a diversion program for felons charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. District Attorney General Steve Mulroy on Monday told the Daily Memphian that the program will apply to defendants who do not have violent criminal histories and whose gun-related charges are non-violent. The program is part of an effort to address racial disparities in the local criminal justice system. Between 2017 and 2023, Black Memphians were 11.6 times more likely than white citizens to be charged with unlawfully carrying or possessing a weapon, according to data from the Vera Institute of Justice. Mulroy said Monday that although no system will ever be perfect, the goal is to get prosecution numbers closer to Memphis’ racial make-up. The city is 64.4% Black and 26.5% white, according to 2023 Census data.