According to the Boy Scouts of America (2005), juvenile diversion refers to the act that “seeks to improve a youth’s self-image, social skills, and attitude about the legal system, and aims to teach the youth better methods of communication” (2). The goal, on the other hand, is “to reduce the rates of youth being rearrested” (Boy Scouts of America 2). The mission is to provide “a positive alternative to formal court processing for motivated first-time misdemeanor offenders.
Through structured activities and community service, the program aims to reduce the recidivism rate among these participants” (Viking Council 3). There are group interactions and structured activities that help to develop the level of maturity and steadfastness by means of greater knowledge in group and community interaction, knowledge in the legal system and the law enforcement, as well as the importance of self-esteem and decision-making skills. The Juvenile Diversion Program: General & Mental Health Focused
The Juvenile Diversion Program runs for about six months wherein the youth is bound to attend two meetings per month and should complete a total of 16 hours of community service work (Viking Council 5). There are also outdoor adventures, group meetings and other activities that help nourish the self-esteem and interaction with other individuals. Aside from lectures on the legal system and decision-making skills, there are also those that pertain to the effects of abuse in alcohol and drug, about careers, personal awareness and growth, as well as the importance of health, fitness and well being.
However, there are juveniles that are more eligible for diversion programs. These usually consist of those who are in the average age of 15—the age when anxiety disorders and depression are usually on the go. It is also important to consider the gravity of the criminal offense. As stated by Kathleen Skowyra and Susan Davidson Powell (2006), “Involvement with the juvenile justice system, both in terms of the seriousness of the current offense and the number of prior arrests or convictions was an eligibility restriction for most programs” (3).
Juveniles that already have a non-violent record in the justice system are given utmost priority and consideration. On the other hand, programs that are more focused on the mental health of the youths are usually less restricted in the long run. With this, it is evident that the general diversion programs exclude youths that have mental health disorders while mental health focused programs accept youths that have ‘minimal’ mental health disorders.
With this, those who suffer from mental retardation or severe psychosis are exempted from entering even the mental health focused diversion programs, and so are those who have committed very serious crimes like rape or homicide. The Chief Seattle Council’s Diversion Program Chief Seattle Council’s unique diversion program that started in 2002 has been centered on women prisoners and their sons who are Cub Scouts (Boy Scouts of America 3). As the number of women prisoners grew heavily by as much as 516% in the past 20 years, about 75% of these women have children who are more likely to be incarcerated in the future (Boy Scouts of America 3).
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