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Diversion and Partnership for Youth Justice
Diversion keeps youth out of the formal court process so they can get services in their community and avoid a criminal record. The Prosecuting Attorney's Office refer youth for diversion. The case returns to the prosecutor if a youth does not complete or create a Diversion Agreement. The prosecutor might decide to file criminal charges.
What diversion does
In a diversion, the youth and family agree to a personalized Diversion Agreement. They create the agreement during a meeting with a court staff member or our volunteer-based Community Accountability Board (CAB).
Every Diversion Agreement is different, based on what happened that led to the referral and what needs to happen to make things better for everyone. The agreement may include getting help, engaging in a program, doing community service, or paying a victim.
Partnership for Youth Justice (PYJ)
PYJ is a diversion program. We may offer it for youth's first time or low-level offenses instead of court. One of our 10 volunteer-run Community Accountability Boards (CAB) meets with the youth and family. They talk about the incident that led to the referral and create a Diversion Agreement.
CABs promote restorative practices, healing interventions, collaboration, and community engagement. The key role of the CAB is to balance the needs of victims, communities, and youth accused of an offense. The goal is to heal all involved while also building skills and addressing risk factors.
PYJ and CABS follow the court’s Juvenile Therapeutic Response & Accountability Court model, which uses trauma-Informed practices to create a web of support to honor the dignity, agency, belonging, and safety of young people.
Learn more about Juvenile Court and our therapeutic model
PYJ also serves students referred by schools. This partnership is an alternative to the traditional school discipline process. The PYJ school-based program interrupts the school-to-prison pipeline. Engagement is optional for students and their families, and the court is not a part of the process. CAB members meet with students and help them resolve the issue that brought the referral.