All participants in SCCDC must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Age 18 or older;
• U.S. citizen;
• Resident of Chatham County;
• Pending felony charge or a violation of probation with at least two (2) years of probation remaining;
• Facts and charges that substantiate active substance use disorder;
• Approved by the District Attorney and the Public Defender (or their designees); and
• Willing to enter SCCDC program.

The following factors disqualify individuals from participating in SCCDC:

• Violent or sex offender or current gun charges
• Charges in other counties that cannot be resolved;
• Previously terminated from SCCDC due to AWOL status; and/or
• Impairment that would interfere with the individual’s ability to actively participate in and successfully complete the program.

A general description of the entry process into the SCCDC program is reflected in the flow chart. While the time from arrest to entry into the SCCDC necessarily varies based on the specific facts of each participant’s case (e.g., participant is released on bond and waits to apply for SCCDC), the target average length of time from arrest to entry into the SCCDC program is 30 days. Upon a participant’s application to SCCDC, the SCCDC Team flags and attempts to resolve any barriers to entry (e.g., housing issues) that may prevent it from meeting this 30-day target (to the extent that those barriers are within the Team’s control).