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Juvenile diversion coordinator says state guidance may eliminate fees; county attorney favors continuing charges until law changes
Summary
Scotts Bluff County juvenile diversion staff reported that state guidance and pending legislation could remove juvenile diversion fees; the county attorney advised continuing current fee collection until state law changes, and staff described program adjustments and typical annual fee revenue.
Tammy, Scotts Bluff County iversion coordinator, told commissioners that the Nebraska juvenile-justice commission and new statewide guidance encourage discontinuing diversion fees for juveniles and that pending legislation could eliminate juvenile diversion fees altogether.
Tammy said the standard county diversion fee for juveniles is $75 and $150 for persons over 18. She told the board she routinely waives or reduces fees for low-income families and has authority to do so. Tammy estimated annual fee revenue at roughly $5,000–$6,000 and said fines are sometimes used to determine whether a participant completes diversion satisfactorily; if fees remain unpaid the county typically classifies the diversion outcome as unsatisfactory, which can affect future court handling.
State guidance favors lower-fee approaches and increased use of warning letters and tailored diversion programming for low-risk youth. Tammy said she has already modified the local diversion model to rely more on workbooks, online classes and direct one-on-one intervention rather than extended community-service hours in some cases. She said juvenile risk screening (NSAT) helps tailor the length and content of diversions.
County Attorney Dave Uebanks told Tammy and the board he wants staff to continue charging fees until the Legislature passes a law removing or limiting them. Commissioners acknowledged competing advice from state juvenile-justice authorities and the county attorney and did not take immediate action; they were briefed so they could anticipate possible revenue and program changes.
Ending: Commissioners accepted the update for information; staff will continue collecting fees under current local policy while monitoring state law changes and guidance.
