If you are a parent, you probably spend a great deal of time and energy worrying about your child and the decisions that they are making. Unfortunately, children and teenagers can sometimes get involved with the wrong crowd and make decisions that lead to formal charges being filed in juvenile court. Young people may behave in reckless or illegal ways because they are trying to fit in, they struggle with an addiction or mental health problem, or for other reasons. If your son or daughter has been accused of a crime, a diversion program may help them avoid jail time and turn their life around.
What is the Purpose of a Diversion or Intervention Program?
Juvenile detention is similar to adult incarceration. Minors who are convicted of a crime are sent to juvenile detention as a punishment for their wrongdoing. Generally speaking, juvenile diversion and intervention programs are an alternative to incarceration which may be more likely to help your child stay out of the criminal justice system in the future.
While the structure of juvenile diversion programs varies from program to program, they all share the same goal: to help juveniles avoid becoming repeat offenders. Intervention and diversion programs can be highly beneficial to young people and their families. Studies have shown that these types of programs are overall much more effective at preventing future illegal activity than incarceration in juvenile detention is.
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