Prison diversion program

(1) Notwithstanding s. 921.0024 and effective for offenses committed on or after July 1, 2009, a court may divert from the state correctional system an offender who would otherwise be sentenced to a state facility by sentencing the offender to a nonstate prison sanction as provided in subsection (2). An offender may be sentenced to a nonstate prison sanction if the offender meets all of the following criteria: (a) The offender’s primary offense is a felony of the third degree. (b) The offender’s total sentence points score, as provided in s. 921.0024, is not more than 48 points, or the offender’s total sentence points score is 54 points and 6 of those points are for a violation of probation, community control, or other community supervision, and do not involve a new violation of law. (c) The offender has not been convicted or previously convicted of a forcible felony as defined in s. 776.08, but excluding any third degree felony violation under chapter 810. (d) The offender’s primary offense does not require a minimum mandatory sentence. (2) If the court elects to impose a sentence as provided in this section, the court shall sentence the offender to a term of probation, community control, or community supervision with mandatory participation in a prison diversion program of the Department of Corrections if such program is funded and exists in the judicial circuit in which the offender is sentenced. The prison diversion program shall be designed to meet the unique needs of each judicial circuit and of the offender population of that circuit. The program may require residential, nonresidential, or day-reporting requirements; substance abuse treatment; employment; restitution; academic or vocational opportunities; or community service work. (3) The court that sentences a defendant to a nonstate prison sanction pursuant to subsection (2) shall make written findings that the defendant meets the criteria in subsection (1); and the sentencing order must indicate that the offender was sentenced to the prison diversion program pursuant to subsection (2). The court may order the offender to pay all or a portion of the costs related to the prison diversion program if the court determines that the offender has the ability to pay.