Diversion

1The front door of the juvenile justice process, where referrals arrive and initial screenings determine eligibility for diversion, detention, or services.

1How cases move from referral and intake screening to detention decisions, petition/adjudication, and final disposition across the 7-state region.

1The earliest off-ramps: cite-and-release, stationhouse adjustments, informal adjustment, and school/community deflection options before a petition is filed.

1How referrals are screened and routed to diversion programs before court filing, emphasizing eligibility, participation, and completion data.

1How mental health and substance use needs are identified and treated across the youth justice pipeline, from intake screening to continuity of care after release.

1Describes how validated screening and assessment instruments are used throughout the youth justice process—from intake to reentry—to inform decisions and monitor progress.

1How referrals are reviewed by prosecutors for legal sufficiency, diversion eligibility, and public interest before a petition is filed.

1How non-criminal status behaviors enter and move through the pipeline, with emphasis on school-based responses, service diversion, and court thresholds.

1How detention screening works at intake and initial hearing, criteria for holds vs. release, and the role of alternatives to detention (ATDs) in managing risk and appearance.

1How community-based programs operate as alternatives to detention, including eligibility, capacity, performance, and outcome tracking.

1Where electronic monitoring (EM/GPS) fits as an alternative to detention: eligibility, setup, compliance metrics, violation handling, and equity checks.

1What happens when youth are released pending petition or adjudication: conditions, contact expectations, alternatives to detention, and compliance tracking.

1How individualized case plans are built from assessments, translated into services, and revised over time—from intake through supervision and reentry.

1Where conferencing and victim services fit in the pipeline: participation, agreements, restitution, and post-agreement follow-up.

1How contracted community programs provide non-custodial supervision, skill-building, and restorative supports for justice-involved youth.

1Examines intensive community supervision models for higher-risk youth, including contact standards, graduated response frameworks, and dosage evaluation.

1When and how youth risk/needs are re-scored during supervision or placement, and how results trigger step-ups or step-downs in intensity.

1How youth in residential or detention placements are screened for educational needs and credit stability, and how schools coordinate continuity across transitions.

1Mentoring, re-engagement, CTE, work-based learning, apprenticeships, and first-job pipelines that reconnect at-risk youth.

1What happens at the end of supervision: closure criteria, documentation standards, eligibility for expungement or sealing, and how these steps affect longitudinal analysis.

1Arkansas Building Futures (ABF) Diversion – Domain: Juvenile Justice diversion; Target: first-time nonviolent offenders statewide.

1How prosecutors decide which youth cases move forward—and how consistency and equity define that gatekeeping power.

1Local mentoring movements showing measurable drops in recidivism and violence.

1Explains how justice, education, and social service records are linked across systems, what identifiers are used, and the risks of linkage error or mismatch.

1Neutral overview of diversion and intake screening: what counts as diversion, common eligibility rules, and how measurement varies across jurisdictions.

1Turning assessment results into tailored plans that track goals, dosage, and real outcomes.

1Youth gang involvement and trafficking indicators across urban and rural areas.

1How risk-based tools and alternatives to detention reshape youth supervision and safety across the Mid-South.

1Tracking youth success beyond discharge—what multi-year data say about diversion’s real impact.

1Screening, crisis response, and treatment continuity for trauma-affected youth.

1Detention reform technical assistance for Mississippi jurisdictions: risk-based decisions and alternatives to detention.

1Serious offender diversion for rural West Texas youth at risk of state commitment (TJJD).

1Domain: Juvenile Justice; Target: youth 13–17 with serious offenses, alternative to secure placement.

1Explains how juvenile risk assessment instruments are scored, how cutoffs drive detention/diversion decisions, and what validation and fairness testing look like.

1How validated risk and needs assessments guide early decisions about diversion, detention, and services.

1How to detect and document breaks in data series when definitions, counting rules, or data systems change over time.

1How small-sample rules protect privacy and preserve reliability in research data — when to suppress, when to pool years, and how to mark breaks in series.

1In-home family therapy for youth at risk of placement or returning from custody; strong crossover relevance (child welfare & justice).

1Programs with real results across the Mid-South: diversion, mentoring, and therapy.