OJJDP >> Residential >> Model Programs Guide

Office of Justice Programs, Innovation - Partnerships – Safer Neighborhoods

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Serving Children, Families and Communities

Direct Services - Diversion

Diversion programs are a specialized subset of interventions that typically serve youth who are at-risk and/or have been arrested or referred to the juvenile court for status offenses or nonserious delinquent offenses. In the latter instance, jurisdictions use diversion in lieu of formal court processing. The concept of diversion is based on the theory that processing certain youth through the juvenile justice system may do more harm than good (Lundman, 1993). Courts may inadvertently stigmatize some youth for having committed relatively petty acts that might best be handled outside the formal system. In addition, involvement with the juvenile justice system may increase some risk factors for delinquent behavior, such as delinquent peer associations. Diversion also is designed to reduce demands placed on overburdened juvenile courts and detention facilities, so they can concentrate on more serious offenders (Sheldon, 1999).

To reduce minority overrepresentation, diversion programs divert youth from formal court processing while still providing a mechanism that holds them accountable for their actions. Examples of diversion programs include community service, informal hearings, family group conferences, victim impact panels, victim-offender mediation, mentoring, teen courts, restitution, and other restorative justice strategies.

Many diversion programs incorporate the restorative justice principles of repairing the harm done to victims and communities. The essence of restorative justice lies in the perspective that crime harms people, communities, and relationships. Consequently, if crime is about harm, then the justice process should emphasize repairing the harm (Bazemore, Seymour, and Rubin, 2000). Restorative justice differs from traditional juvenile justice in the way it views and addresses crime. Whereas the traditional justice system focuses on the offender’s culpability and need for sanctioning and/or treatment, a restorative system takes a broader approach. Howard Zehr (1990) maintains that a restorative system focuses on three primary questions: What is the nature of the harm resulting from the crime? What needs to be done to repair the harm? Who is responsible for the repair? Thus, a restorative system places more emphasis on the victim and views the offender as more than an object of punishment—the offender is held accountable for repairing the harm that the crime caused. A restorative court supports, facilitates, and enforces reparative agreements (Bazemore, Seymour, and Rubin, 2000).

Early Intervention Programs

Alternatives to Secure Detention

Alternatives to Secure Corrections

Advocacy Programs