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Greater Derry Juvenile Diversion Program

Who is this program for?

Empowering youth to make responsible decisions by offering an alternative to court intervention while holding them accountable for their actions.
Circuit Court Family Division - Juvenile Delinquency
The Family Division handles cases involving delinquent children. A delinquent child is one who has committed an offense that would be considered a crime if the person was an adult.

Juvenile Diversion offers a way for children to remedy inappropriate behavior through means outside the court system. There are currently 17 accredited Juvenile Diversion programs in the state. Click below to go directly to our page:

The Diversion Process:


Intake: The police department makes a referral to the Diversion Program. The youth then must attend a meeting (with a parent) with the Diversion Coordinator. Background information will be gathered and the youth will discuss the incident to make a final determination of eligibility.  The Diversion Coordinator will go over the responsibilities as a participant in the program with the youth.


The Contract Hearing: Once a youth is accepted into the Diversion Program they must attend a Community Team Meeting with a parent or guardian. The meeting consists of a panel of community members who determine an appropriate plan of accountability. A “contract” is presented to the youth at this time. The youth will be asked to commit themselves to fulfilling this contract in the amount of time given by the Diversion Coordinator.


The Review Hearing: Participants in the Diversion Program will meet with the team of community members at the end of the contract period. The case will be reviewed and if the youth successfully completes the contract on time, the referring police department will be notified that the case brought against the youth is formally closed.


A contract can include:

 

  • Restitution
  • Referrals to appropriate programs such as Challenge, Take Control, or Yes
  • Community service
  • An educational one on one workshop addressing issues with the incident at hand.
  • A research paper or project concentrating on the issues surrounding the incident.
  • A personal development project, such as a life goals timeline.
  • A formal apology to parents, family members or victims.

 

Eligibility:

 

  • Youth is under age 18
  • It is a chargeable offense: the facts of the case would lead to a court hearing.
  • The facts of the police report are not contested.
  • The youth is willing to take full responsibility for their actions.
  • Cases with serious or physically aggressive offenses are excluded.

 


Greater Derry Juvenile Diversion Program Coordinator is Contact Diversion Coordinator at 603-437-8477 x114.


A program of The Upper Room, a Family Resource Center.

We proudly thank our funders: the Towns of Derry, Salem, Chester and Londonderry.

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