Since this isn't actually "innovative" (very little in criminal justice diversion is) but has almost certainly been tried in other communities, why didn't they have the UA Justice Center research to see if it actually worked elsewhere?

For that matter, what -exactly- have they set up as a metric to determine if it is working? What -exact- data are they collecting to see if those criteria have been met?

The problem with many government programs is "we have to do something" outweighs rational analysis of what can potentially work based on extant evidence, and then no standards for success are established and no review is done to see if the program is working. Instead more money just keeps getting thrown at something that makes some people "feel better," even absent evidence it's improving the situation.  

Which is the situation of most government entitlement programs. No standard for success is created (except the perverse incentive of "more people served") and no review is ever done.