Arrest/Police Diversion
A juvenile enters the juvenile justice system when a complaint charging the commission of a delinquent act is signed. A law enforcement officer may take a juvenile into custody when there is probable cause to believe that the juvenile is delinquent. In lieu of signing a delinquency complaint, the officer may divert the case through several means, including releasing the juvenile to a responsible parent or guardian (with or without a reprimand and warning) or conduct a Station House Adjustment. Once a delinquency complaint is signed, a juvenile can be held in a secure detention facility if certain statutory criteria are met. The officer refers the case to court intake service to request admission into detention.

Court Diversion
Juvenile Conference Committees (JCCs) and Intake Service Conferences (ISCs) are diversion procedures established by the court and utilized in select first and second offenses of a minor nature. JCCs are comprised of community residents appointed by the court to review certain delinquency complaints. ISCs are conducted by court intake staff to review slightly more serious delinquency allegations. Both diversion procedures occur after delinquency complaints have been signed and filed with the court.

When a community resident is appointed by the Courts to hear cases referred to J.C.C., what usually occurs is that the juvenile and his/her parents come to an agreement regarding correcting the delinquent behavior. This may mean that community service may be performed and a period of probation must be adhered to. The consequences are similar to that of a Station House Adjustment.

Juvenile/Family Crisis Intervention Units
Juvenile/Family Crisis Intervention Units (JFCIUs) were authorized to divert from court proceedings, matters involving family related problems, e.g., incorrigibility, truancy, runaway and serious family conflict. The JFCIUs provide short-term, crisis intervention services with the goal of stabilizing the family situation and/or referring the juvenile and family to available community agencies.

Station House Adjustment
Juveniles and their parents, guardians or caregivers or responsible adult designee may participate in a station house adjustment. This diversionary program was designed to keep juveniles that have committed an act of delinquency out of the juvenile justice system.

A station house adjustment must be agreed to by the complainant, the delinquent juvenile, the juvenile’s parents and the juvenile detective handling the case. A refusal by any of the aforementioned party’s to participate in the program may result in formal charges being filed against the juvenile. The program allows for the reasonable input from all party’s involved to find a viable solution and/or consequence for the delinquent act committed with the end result being a lesson learned by the delinquent juvenile without having a juvenile delinquency record.

A station house adjustment is a substantial benefit to the juvenile, which permits the juvenile to avoid the consequences of having been formally charged for the committed act of delinquency.

Possible consequences of delinquent acts