Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Justice Diversion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Youth‑court advocates tell committee that diversion fund helps keep kids out of justice system; ask for statewide expansion
Summary
Representatives of a long‑running youth‑court program described a diversion model that uses youth juries, community sanctions and mentoring to reduce recidivism. They asked the Joint Committee on the Judiciary to support House Bill 15‑99 to create a youth‑court justice fund and expand sites.
Representatives of the Youth Court Justice Fund and local program operators told the Joint Committee on the Judiciary that the youth‑court diversion model has a long record of compliance and community service and asked lawmakers to support House Bill 15‑99 to create a state fund to expand the program across Massachusetts.
Speakers said the program serves first‑time juvenile offenders through peer juries, community service sanctions, essays and restorative practices designed to prevent escalation into the formal juvenile justice system. Testimony said the program has served over 3,200 young people in 23 years, trained more than 700 youth attorneys, and reported compliance rates above 90 percent in participating cohorts.
Program volunteers and local officials said expansion funding would allow the program to serve more communities and provide an alternative to formal court processing for eligible youths. Committee members thanked witnesses and invited written materials and program data for follow‑up; no action was taken during the hearing.
