As counties beginning their planning process, the Juvenile Justice Institute will be by your side as you work your way through the options. However, in a healthy approach, one should ideally eat what their body needs – not simply what we crave.
If you have low iron, eat a steak or some quinoa! But if you have trouble absorbing iron, you need to add some green leafy spinach to help you meet the goal. That spinach can absorb more easily into your body, and it's vegetarian-friendly and can be more affordable than steak or quinoa, too.
Similarly, your community has unique needs, and you should tailor your programs to meet those needs.
If your community has a large number of 1st time diverse offenders – who are not enrolling in diversion, you may need to address why they aren't enrolling. Everyone has different challenges to overcome in their lives, and the youth served are no different.
If a young person doesn't have reliable transportation to get to diversion programs, consider how you can provide that resource to them. Free bus passes may help, or if your community does not have public transportation, working with leaders to build that infrastructure may also be a solution. Some youth might not be able to afford diversion, especially if there's a high fee associated with it, so a scholarship for these kids may boost enrollment--or nixing fees altogether.
Most problems we encounter in life have multiple possible solutions. Some solutions are better than others for all sorts of reasons - timeliness, the realities of funding, or the people-power we can turn to in our network. As counties develop their community plans, the JJI will help you identify your needs, so you can consider your options.
