Diversion opportunities for juvenile justice in Louisiana present a key strategy for reducing recidivism, reducing costs, and improving outcomes for youth and their communities. Youth who have behavioral health needs (including mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and history of traumatic stress) are particularly vulnerable for exclusionary school discipline practices, including arrests.
Choices has worked to support key partnerships within the juvenile justice system to create these opportunities for youth. Currently, Choices works closely with the District Attorney (DA) and Prosecutor’s offices in Louisiana’s Calcasieu Parish. In addition, Choices has cultivated close relationships with the probation offices at the state and local parish level. In other parishes, Choices works with judges to divert youth from the typical juvenile justice trajectory.
This study of Choices’ youth addressed the questions:
1) Are the differences in recorded needs and strengths for youth with juvenile justice involvement based on total costs for care, length of enrollment, or age of enrollment?
2) What are the key lessons learned for achieving positive outcomes for youth with juvenile justice involvement?
Click the download button to read the report, which was presented during the 2018 annual meeting of the American Evaluation Association.
Advocacy in the Juvenile Justice System