Juvenile Diversion and Custody
A law enforcement agency’s goal should be to coordinate juvenile justice and delinquency prevention that meets the needs of juveniles, while holding juveniles accountable for their actions. Agencies should develop procedures that avoid formal processing of juveniles through the justice system under certain conditions. By adopting such methods, large numbers of youth can be diverted from unnecessary charges and can avoid being processed through the system, thus decreasing the probability of further delinquencies. Referral to local social service agencies rather than the juvenile justice system can often have profoundly positive, long-term effects. These documents contain practices which concentrate on possible youth disparities, informal justice procedures, rehabilitative approaches, extrajudicial measures and sanctions, and positive law enforcement and youth interaction.