Guide to developing pre-adjudication diversion policy and practice in Pennsylvania.

Source: (2010) Harrisburg, PA: Models for Change Initiative in Pennsylvania.

The Principles and Guide were developed in direct response
to two key findings of a survey conducted in 2007 of county
juvenile justice stakeholders, including judges, prosecutors,
defense attorneys and juvenile probation officers. First,
although Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Act provides a statutory basis
for diversion, most Pennsylvania counties currently do not have
a formal written policy on diversion. Second, there is a need
for statewide standards regarding diversion in order to ensure
that diversion is made available to all eligible youth throughout
the Commonwealth and is fairly administered. The Principles
and Guide are provided as resources to assist counties in
developing local policies and protocols that are consistent with
the mandates of current law and best practice standards.
Diversion is both a process (i.e., providing alternatives to
adjudications for alleged juvenile offenders) and a program
(i.e., the services the youth receives in place of a formal
adjudication). This Guide addresses both aspects of diversion,
and stakeholders similarly should address both aspects as they
craft their own diversion policies and protocols.