Request Justice in Maricopa County!

Hold Maricopa County Accountable for Discrimination in its Diversion Program and Provide Relief for Victims

• Documents
• What Happened?
• Why it matters to every Arizonan.
• What We Are Requesting/Seeking?

• How You Can Help

• Supporting Documents / Stats / Evidence

Sarah Beth, a disabled individual, was unjustly denied the opportunity to successfully complete the Maricopa County diversion program, not once, but twice.  Despite fulfilling all other requirements and demonstrating a strong commitment to the program, Sarah was systematically denied reasonable accommodations for her disability. This failure to accommodate, coupled with evidence of intentional discrimination by program staff, raises serious concerns about the program's integrity and the County's commitment to upholding the rights of its citizens.

• Sarah has a documented medical condition that prevents her from urinating in public due to PTSD, agoraphobia, and severe anxiety.
• Despite providing medical documentation and repeatedly requesting accommodations for drug screenings, the diversion program, run by Sage Counseling, failed to accommodate her disability. The county had acknowledged that a mouth swab test was available as an accommodation, but was never provided.
• Evidence suggests that this failure was not an oversight, but rather a deliberate act of discrimination against Sarah due to her disability.
• Despite these obstacles, Sarah persevered and completed all other program requirements, even attending extra classes due to administrative errors.
• The County Attorney's Office is now pursuing charges against Sarah as if she failed the program due to her own negligence, completely ignoring the program's discriminatory actions and seeking a sentence that takes the failures into account.
• The issues that occurred are not mentioned a single time in the court record and not a single action has been taken to address the systemic discrimination in the diversion program.
• The County Attorney is seeking two years of supervised probation, citing policy, as well as the lack of policy that would take into account the events that transpired.

This case is not just about Sarah. It exposes systemic issues within the Maricopa County diversion program that threaten the rights of all citizens:

• Violation of Due Process:  The failure to provide reasonable accommodations and the evidence of discrimination raise serious concerns about violations of due process rights.
• Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act:  Maricopa County has a legal obligation to ensure that individuals with disabilities are accommodated within its programs. The failure to do so in Sarah's case may constitute a violation of the ADA.
• Lack of Accountability: The County Attorney's Office is attempting to deflect responsibility by blaming Sage Counseling, a private company contracted to run the program. However, the County has a duty to oversee the program and ensure compliance with the law.
• Failure to Protect Citizens: The County Attorney's Office admits to having no policy to address mistreatment or discrimination within the diversion program. This lack of oversight leaves participants vulnerable to abuse and undermines the program's purpose of rehabilitation.
• Appalling Success Rate:  Maricopa County has the worst diversion program success rate in Arizona, averaging in the mid-50% range since its inception in 2020. This statistic, coupled with Sarah's experience, points to a deeply flawed system in need of immediate reform.

We Must Act Now!

By signing this petition, you are requesting that the Maricopa County Attorney's Office:

• Dismiss all charges against Sarah Beth with prejudice, as would have occurred had she been properly accommodated in the diversion program.
• Launch a thorough investigation into the diversion program to identify and address any further instances of discrimination and mistreatment.
• Implement policies and procedures to ensure that the program operates fairly and equitably for all participants, including those with disabilities.
• Create a program that allows those wrongfully discriminated against and subsequently prosecuted seek release from their sentences.

To make sure our voices are heard, we are also offering all petition signers the ability to have us mail a letter to a list of officials on your behalf. No need to worry about postage, we got it covered. We have several pre-written letters in which you can choose from or upload your own.

Don't let Maricopa County continue to violate the rights of its citizens.  Sign the petition today and demand justice for Sarah and the countless other victims of the counties neglect!

 

Additional Information / Evidence:

• Transcript of phone call from diversion program case manager after finishing the second program: Click here to view

Image showing success rate of diversion program by county; Maricopa county is consistenty the lowest by a substantial margin. (Click image to view full size)

You might be curious as to why we have chosen not to use a widely recognized platform such as Change.Org for this particular initiative. The primary reason for this decision is our commitment to privacy. Many of the well-known petition sites tend to share user information in ways that may not always be transparent. In contrast, we prioritize the security and confidentiality of your data. We want to assure you that any information you provide will be used exclusively for this specific initiative, safeguarding your privacy at all times.