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 (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), 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, Ma ...
, 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’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 offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
. 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 without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...
.
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 of
alcohol 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 Single ...
.
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 system, an expungement proceeding is a type of lawsuit in which a first time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks that the records of that earlier process be sealed or destroyed, making the records nonexistent or u ...
. 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 state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
)
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