Diversion of Juvenile Offenders to the Community in the State of Washington - Back to the Source (From From Children to Citizens, V 2 - The Role of the Juvenile Court, P 251-269, 1987, Francis X Hartmann, ed. - See NCJ-106014)

• NCJ Number: 106026
• Author(s): M H Sidran
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: Springer-Verlag
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In 1959, the King County Juvenile Court (Washington) implemented a community-based diversion program that uses volunteer conference committees.

Abstract

The committees meet with juvenile offenders and their parents following referral by the court, police, school, or other agencies. By 1984, the program had expanded to 25 committees covering virtually the entire county. In a 1978 multiprogram evaluation, the program ranked highest in reducing court workloads, increasing court status in the community, intensifying services and specialized expertise, and improving the quality of justice. The strengths of these programs led the State legislature to emphasize community diversion as a part of the comprehensive reform of the juvenile justice system in 1977. While these reforms led to a formalization of the programs within an accountability model, they increased volunteer participation without negatively affecting the programs' informality and flexibility or participant satisfaction with the programs. 19 endnotes.