Diversion Program

The Greene County Juvenile Court Diversion program shall promote public safety by providing a safe, clean, caring setting to deliver program services that are responsive to the behavioral health and life-skills needs of youth and families in Greene County with a focus on diverting qualifying court-referred cases from formal court involvement.

PROGRAM GOALS -

Adolescence can be a turbulent time, however it is also a period of great opportunity as young people engage more deeply with the world around them.  The target population for Diversion are youth ages 10 through 17 who are delinquent.  The goal is to address behaviors by providing "light touch" court interventions for the youth and their families.

We are passionate about helping the youth in our community learn life lessons from their mistakes.  Our goal is to teach the life lessons when an event happens, because when you learn the lesson, the odds dramatically decrease that the same mistake will be made in the future.

BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM

The benefits of the Diversion Program are that if the youth and parent(s) complete the program contract, the case will be handled informally with no official juvenile court record. If, however, the program is not completed, the case will be referred to Juvenile Court for a formal hearing.

The Diversion Program successfully diverts up to 85% of cases from the formal court system.  By preventing formal court involvement, the youth's record remains clear, which reduces future barriers for employment, military service, or higher educational opportunities.

YOUTH PROCESS RIGHTS

The Diversion Program is based on the philosophy that not all cases are best handled through the formal court system. Youth referred to the Diversion Program are assured of the following due process rights:

1. A child who is referred to a diversion program may choose instead to have the matter handled officially by the court.
2. The child will be expected to admit or deny the alleged behavior at the onset of the diversion hearing. If the child admits the alleged behavior, the hearing officer may develop a diversion contract for the child to complete. If the child denies the alleged behavior, the case may be transferred to the formal court process. The hearing officer has the discretion to refer any case to the formal court at any given time.
3. The child has a right to consult an attorney before agreeing to program participation.
4. Any statement made by the child during participation in a diversion program or during negotiations leading to such participation is inadmissible as evidence in any subsequent adjudicatory hearing relative to the original charge as it relates to the child who was in the diversion program. Statements and/or documents in the diversion program may be used in the prosecution of a co-participant who is formally charged.