Juvenile Court Diversion
& Crime Among Youth
The most recent data available on Juvenile court statistics is for the year 2013. It examines trends as far back as the early nineties, when juvenile crime and case loads were at their peak. According to the National Center for Juvenile Justice, traditional court diversion, processes these types of cases: crimes committed against a person (rape, murder, assault, etc.), property crimes (burglary, trespassing, arson, etc.), drug charges, and crimes related to violations of public order (drinking in public, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, etc.) (Hockenberry, & Puzzanchera, 2015).
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Age was a noticeable factor within the research during 2013, where crimes increased among offenders sixteen and older for low-risk youth. Offenses including drug charges and public order accounted for 44% of total offenses in that year (Hockenberry, & Puzzanchera, 2015). The good news, is that most of those offenses can be addressed through Smart Decarceration. Both Teen Court and the WISE Arrest Diversion Program are effective in reducing the amount of youth placed in residential facilities and decreasing the chance of reoffense.
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The School-To-Prison Pipeline: Explained
Zero-tolerance policies were first adopted in the 1990's as a way to deter youth from committing crime. It has gradually evolved into a system that is enforced by a strong police presence. Most schools have allowed these officers to dicipline children, for bringing drugs and alcohol on campus, misbehaving, fighting, and then youths are diverted to the juvenile court system. (Fader, Lockwood, Schall, & Stokes, 2015). Through authorization from the school, police officers have contributed to both the case load of deliquent court cases and the total population of juvenile offenders placed in residential and non residential programs (probation), throughout the country.