Jurisdictions are increasingly exploring ways to divert youth accused of delinquent behavior from the justice system. Compared to young people who are arrested and prosecuted in juvenile court, young people who are diverted from formal court processing are less likely to be arrested for subsequent offenses and more likely to succeed in education and employment.
A recent brief from the Sentencing Project, Protect and Redirect: America’s Growing Movement to Divert Youth Out of the Justice System, details significant diversion reform efforts undertaken by jurisdictions in the last 5 to 10 years. It begins by providing background information about diversion efforts using data about the outcomes of diverted youth, including data exploring diversion efforts by race that highlight disparities.