Diversion

Diversion programs are programs aimed at diverting low-risk youth with minor law violations from the juvenile system who would otherwise have charges filed or be adjudicated. The county attorney grants diversion for youth after considering the youth’s age, the nature of the offense, the youth’s history and future risk, and the recommendation of the referring agency. When a youth is granted diversion, the diversion officer should tailor a program for the youth based on the youth’s specific needs and areas he/she needs to focus on. If diversion is completed successfully, the youth’s charges are either dismissed or not filed in court.

Visit the Nebraska Crime Commission's Diversion page and more resources by clicking here and selecting "Juvenile Diversion."

evaluating diversion programs

As part of our yearly evaluations for Community-based Juvenile Services Aid funded programs in fiscal year 2025, the JJI, in partnership with the NCC, developed evaluation matrices to categorize important outcomes for each program type evaluated. The following categories describe the important program outcome indicators for diversion programs. These categories can be used to assess the standing of a program in terms of whether it is successfully applying best practices and meeting expectations or common goals for such programs.