Protect and Redirect - America’s Growing Movement to Divert Youth Out of the Justice System

Protect and Redirect America’s Growing Movement to Divert Youth Out of the Justice System Protect and Redirect: America’s Growing Movement to Divert Youth Out of the Justice System 1 PROTECT AND REDIRECT: AMERICA’S GROWING MOVEMENT TO DIVERT YOUTH OUT OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM This report was written by Richard A. [...] for advocates and system leaders interested in expand- ing and improving the use of diversion in youth justice, In other jurisdictions, justice system leaders are including: how to address disparities in diversion; best making changes to improve diversion practices and practices for diversion; using data to maximize success in increase the success of youth once diverted. [...] Nearly 2,000 youth were referred to IIP as a of diversion to three months in most cases, and diversion from formal court processing in fiscal eliminate fines and fees for diversion and other year 2022,11 of whom 92% successfully complet- facets of the youth justice system.18 ed diversion12 by complying with the terms of their diversion agreements and avoiding a new ● Massachusetts – As part of a j. [...] The state now diverts most youth to behavioral health rather than court interventions: 72% of youth assessed Many state and local justice systems through the new process in 2022 were recom- have created new diversion rules and mended to non-court interventions, and police pathways in the past few years that supported the recommendations 94% of the substantially expand the share of youth time.14 As. [...] First, restorative justice diver- ● Colorado has focused intensively on restorative sion directly addresses the needs of victims, leading to justice diversion over the past decade.82 The state far higher victim satisfaction with the justice process.78 has enacted a series of laws to guide and encour- age the use of restorative justice diversion, and it funded and evaluated a pilot program from 201.