Crime Causation Diversion: Comparison of Juvenile Diversion, Essay

Crime Causation Diversion: Comparison of Juvenile Diversion, Intervention, And Prevention Programs Operating in California

The objective of this study is to compare juvenile diversion, intervention, and prevention programs operating California. This study will examine how programs work to reduce juvenile crime and then conduct an analysis of the relationship between program premise and goals and one of more major causes of juvenile delinquent behavior.

One of the provisions to juvenile offenders is known as SMART. SMART is comprised by a broad series of programs including intervention programs, investigations, school violence prevention, and juvenile diversion. It also includes outreach and community forum programs like Is Your Teen at Risk? that informs parents about issues they need to be knowledgeable about." (Orange County Sheriff's Department, 2013) SMART stands for 'School Mobile Assessment and Resource Team', which is reported to be used in "situations and incidents related to violence, threats, possession and use of weapons, unstable behaviors, and suicidal actions or tendencies." (Orange County Sheriff's Department, 2013) SMART is reported to work in partnership with the officials in schools, the probation department and district attorney's office as well as mental health agencies. SMART is formed by an investigator, two deputies, and a sergeant. The goal of SMART is the evaluation and assessment of each incident on an individual basis and to successful bring resolution to the matter using the least intrusive possible means while maintaining the school's safety and security and returning everyone involved to their daily activities as soon as possible. The SMART team's response statistics are reported as follows:

SMART Team Statistics: Years 2011 and 2012

402 calls for service

309 conducted threat assessments

77 arrests

87 weapons confiscated

II. Juvenile Services Bureau (JSB)

The Juvenile Services Bureau (JSB) makes provision of "…comprehensive investigative, counseling, rehabilitation and referral services to area youths that come in contact with law enforcement." (Orange County Sheriff's Department, 2013) The JSB Sergeant coordinates the program for the School Resource Officers for Organ County, California. SRO's are reported to "collaborate on ongoing student's trends, problems at schools and efforts to provide appropriate service to the student and administrative customers they serve." (Orange County Sheriff's Department, 2013) It is reported as well that each juvenile case is assigned to the JSB and formulated upon the nature of the crime, the offender's background, the school attendance of the offender, the grades, family and other issues. Cases that meet the requirements for diversion are referred to PRYDE Counselors for review and follow-up. Those, which are not referred for diversion, are crimes of violence or cases that include a criminal history and cases in which the offender had previously participated in the PRYDE Program on a different case. Non-compliance will result in the diversion case being rejected and this results in the case being prosecuted.

III. Pepperdine Resource Youth Diversion and Education (PRYDE)

Orange County Sheriff's Department has collaborated with Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology. The PRYDE Program are focused on prevention, intervention, and counseling and are stated to be "available at no costs to at-risk youths and their families in all cities and unincorporated areas of Orange County. " (Orange County Sheriff's Department, 2013) There are three ways that youth enter the PRYDE Program: (1) through a law enforcement contact that would normally result in the teenager's referral to the Juvenile Justice System. Teens who are eligible for the program are generally first time offenders…