JUVENILE DIVERSION - KEY ISSUES - NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM, PHASE 1 - ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILE DIVERSION

• NCJ Number: 34473
• Author(s): P COLOMY; R A MCDERMOTT
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 37 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-NI-99-0081
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Regents of the University of Minnesota
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM

Annotation

SEVERAL KEY ISSUES IN THE DEFINITION AND PRACTICE OF JUVENILE DIVERSION ARE EXPLORED, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS FORMS DIVERSION MAY TAKE, THE ROLE OF DECISION MAKING IN DIVERSION, AND THE IMPACT OF JUVENILE DIVERSION.

Abstract

THE DEFINITIONAL AND CONCEPTUAL CONFUSION SURROUNDING THE CONCEPT OF DIVERSION IS EXAMINED, AND AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO CLARIFY THE CONCEPTS OF PREVENTION, DIVERSION, ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION, SCREENING, REFERRAL, AND MINIMIZATION OF PENETRATION. THE AUTHORS STRESS THE NEED TO DEVELOP SOME KIND OF COHERENT FRAMEWORK OUT OF, OR IN SPITE OF, DISPARATE AND OVERLAPPING CONCEPTUAL SCHEMES. PROBLEMS IMPOSED BY THE DECISION TO DIVERT ARE EXAMINED. THE DECISION TO DIVERT IS THEN EXPLORED WITH RESPECT TO THESE QUESTIONS: WHAT TYPES OF PROCESSES INFLUENCE THE OFFICIAL IN HIS DECISION TO DIVERT? AND WHO IS DIVERTED? ALSO EXAMINED IS THE PROBLEM OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF DIVERSION PROGRAMS TO LEGAL AUTHORITY. FINALLY, THE IMPACT OF DIVERSION IS DISCUSSED WITH EMPHASIS ON THE POTENTIAL ENLARGEMENT OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE NET AND FURTHER STIGMATIZATION OF DIVERTED YOUTH RESULTING FROM DIVERSION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)