Minimizing Youth Involvement with the Courts: A Profile of Face Forward Grantees' Diversion Services
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Minimizing Youth Involvement with the Courts: A Profile of Face Forward Grantees' Diversion Services

Published: May 30, 2018
Publisher: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica
Human Services Justice Juvenile Justice
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Associated Project

Addressing the Critical Needs of Youth Offenders: Evaluating the Impacts of Grant-Funded Programs

Time frame: 2013-2018

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Authors

Ivette Gutierrez

Sukey Leshnick

Jillian Stein

Key Findings

Key Findings:

  • Face Forward grantees primarily diverted low-risk offenders before formal processing or adjudication.
  • The majority of the programs did not obtain a formal designation as a diversion program by the juvenile justice system.
  • Operating as a formal diversion program ensured a steady source of referrals and close collaboration with justice partners, but gaining formal status was a long process.
  • Some programs provided diversion services without a formal designation. These programs had more flexibility in program design but some struggled to compete for referrals.
  • Partnerships were crucial for successful diversion programs. Criminal justice partners were essential for referrals, and partnerships with community agencies expanded the range of services offered.
This brief describes the Face Forward grantees’ approaches to diversion, the challenges they encountered, and lessons they gleaned from their experiences.

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