Alternatives to Arrest: Improving School Safety Through Diversion Programming Knowledge College

Recognizing the importance of pre-arrest and pre-court diversions in reducing youth involvement in the justice system, this Knowledge College session, hosted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Specialized Training and Technical Assistance for Law Enforcement Program, will focus on improving awareness around diversion strategies and their implementation in school settings. It will feature Kevin Bethel, chief of school safety for the School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who will share information about the district’s diversion programming and local insights that may be applicable across the nation.

As a result of this session, participants will be able to:

• Explain the impact of school discipline policies and practices and how they may impede youth success.
• Identify diversion as a strategy to support school safety and how it should be utilized in schools.
• List diversion strategies that can be implemented to avoid arrests and formal court processing for youth and communities involved.
• Identify ways to equitably expand and improve the use of diversion in schools.