Municipal court launches youth diversion program; court administrator acting as juvenile case manager while city evaluates hiring

Elgin municipal court staff informed the council that a statutorily mandated youth diversion program for juveniles is now in effect and that the municipal court is implementing the program with existing staff while the city determines hiring needs.

Municipal Judge Amanda and court staff said the program — designed to steer qualifying youth away from formal juvenile adjudication — requires coordination among the prosecutor, the court and a juvenile case manager. The city’s court administrator (identified in the meeting as Yadi) is temporarily serving as juvenile case manager while the city monitors caseload; staff said they will bring a request to council for a permanent hire if and when the number of qualifying cases justifies adding a position. The program opened Jan. 1 and, as of the meeting, no juveniles had yet been enrolled, staff said. The court emphasized that enrollment requires parental buy-in and that diversion typically targets youth with minimal or no prior criminal history.

Council members asked how many youths are expected to qualify and whether the program covers ages 10–17; staff said the program is available for youth ages 10–17 who meet eligibility and that it is hard to predict case volume given growth and other variables in the community. Staff said diversion typically includes restorative elements such as community service, school-based programs and tutoring and is intended to avoid creating lengthy juvenile records.

City staff said they are not under a hiring deadline but will monitor caseload and return to council if a hiring authorization is needed.