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State juvenile corrections official: Jefferson County diversion and recidivism figures show progress in 2024
Summary
A representative from the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections presented Jefferson County statistics for 2024 showing increased arrests and detention admissions but high diversion success rates and relatively low recidivism.
Shane Boyle, district liaison for the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections (DJC), presented the department’s 2024 annual county report to Jefferson County commissioners, summarizing arrests, detention admissions, probation caseloads and recidivism.
Boyle said 2024 saw 64 juvenile arrests in Jefferson County, an increase from the prior two years, with detention admissions also up and juvenile petitions down slightly. He reported 14% of charges were felonies, 80% misdemeanors and 6% status offenses. The county’s diversion program showed a 100% success rate for youths enrolled in diversion, and the probation success rate was 77% for the year.
The report showed 53 youths on probation or recently released in 2024, with a one‑day snapshot on Sept. 30 recording 40 youths on probation and one on diversion. DJC noted five Jefferson County youths entered state custody during the year. Community-service hours recorded totaled 3,116 hours with $8,420 collected for restitution. Boyle presented recidivism rates for a cohort of 82 youths: roughly 7% at six months, 9% at 12 months and 16% at 24 months.
Boyle credited county probation programs and locally accessed behavioral-health funding for improving outcomes. He described a pass-through of approximately $153,000 from state sources (JCA, tobacco and lottery funds) to the county’s juvenile services; DJC staff also cited state behavioral-health dollars administered through county probation to support counseling, medication management and transportation for families in need.
Commissioners and Boyle praised probation staff for casework that keeps youth in the community and reduces costly state commitments. “Tammy’s office does an outstanding job,” Boyle said, adding county efforts to provide ancillary treatment funding help reduce the number of state commitments.
Why it matters: The statistics help county leaders and the public evaluate juvenile justice needs and program effectiveness. Diversion success and relatively low recidivism suggest local programs and partnerships with DJC and behavioral-health funding are yielding measurable results.
The DJC report was received by the board with no formal action required.
