Youth diversion shows early gains; council schedules Tallcop assessment as members raise concerns about illegal guns

Youth justice staff told the Sawyer County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council that a new diversion program is showing early signs of engagement and improved school attendance for participating youth, and the council scheduled a Tallcop community assessment and presentation for Nov. 12 to examine local risks tied to CBD and vape products.

Why it matters: diversion programs aim to keep youth out of formal court processing; a planned Tallcop assessment could identify local retail sources of products that speakers said mimic opioid‑like effects and inform prevention strategy. Council members also raised concerns about illegal firearms in the community and discussed whether a gun takeback could be organized.

Sarah, a youth justice staff member, said the diversion program received 11 referrals from January through June and eight additional referrals from July to the date of the meeting; seven intakes were pending from LCO tribal court. Sarah reported school attendance among program youth as follows: 15 students at 100% attendance this school year, three at 90%, one at 80%, three at 70%, four at 60%, four at 50% and two below 50%.

To encourage continued engagement, staff described incentives including gas and fast‑food gift cards and two larger raffles (midpoint and end‑of‑year) with prizes such as $100 Foot Locker and $100 Amazon gift cards. Sarah also described a “student of the month” recognition for participants, and said the county has shifted a previously contracted family program from Sirona Recovery to Journey Day Treatment, a local provider. The Journey Day Treatment track is a 12‑week parenting program in which the first three weeks are parent‑only, then families and children participate together; staff said a local therapist will provide a soft handoff after the 12 weeks.

Sarah said Tallcop — a presenter the county learned about at a juvenile justice conference — will assess retail outlets selling vapes and CBD products that the presenter has found to contain substances with effects similar to opioids in other jurisdictions. The Tallcop presentation and community assessment are scheduled for Nov. 12 and will include local partners, law enforcement and LCO representatives.

Council members then discussed illegal guns. A speaker identified as the sheriff and other members described an observed uptick in gang activity and illegal firearms and asked whether the county could pilot a no‑questions‑asked gun turn‑in program similar to drug takebacks. The council scheduled follow‑up meetings with local law enforcement, the district attorney and stakeholders to explore prevention and removal strategies.

Ending: Youth justice staff said they will add academic outcomes to future reports, and the council will host Tallcop in November and pursue local discussions about gun removal efforts.