Crime Causation

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Name Class Date Professor

Crime Causation

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Juvenile diversion, intervention, or prevention programs are designed to assist the juvenile offender in successfully changing their lives and becoming more productive members of society. The juvenile diversion program is designed to divert the juvenile form the juvenile justice system and instead allows them to complete a program designed to give them the tools to change their deviant behavior. The juvenile prevention program is put into place in order to provide juveniles with the tools to prevent them forever engaging in delinquent or criminal behavior and lastly the intervention program is designed to provide juveniles the reality of continuing to engage in juvenile delinquency or crime. In Ohio the Ohio Department of Juvenile Justice Service is responsible for providing juveniles with programs and services designed to assist them in becoming future upstanding citizens but these programs are also offered by nonprofit organizations in the state. The Ohio Juvenile Justice Diversion Program is funded by the state and is applied to the juvenile in stages. The concept of diversion is based on the theory that processing certain youth through the juvenile justice system may do more harm than good (NCJRS, 2010). In order to be eligible for the diversion program the juvenile must be seventeen or younger and must be consider a minor youthful offender under Ohio law. A youthful offender is defined as any youth that has been subject to a juvenile or criminal justice process (Wonacott, 2008). The Ohio Diversion program is provided to juveniles at risk for being expelled from school, responsible for a misdemeanor offense, or the first time offender. The juvenile will be subject to a three phase diversion program that requires the juvenile to begin with intensive supervision and to wear a GPS tracking ankle bracelet.

Crime Causation

In the first phase of the Diversion Program the juvenile will check in their probation officer on a weekly basis for a thirty day period and will begin to complete the requirements of the court. For example if the juvenile is in the diversion program for repeatedly skipping school the juvenile will need to show the probation officer he has perfect attendance or if the juvenile has been ordered into substance abuse treatment they will need to complete the time allotted by the court. In the next phase the juvenile will contact and meet probation officer biweekly for another month and complete community service. The juvenile will continue to wear GPS ankle bracelet. In the last phase GPS bracelet is removed but juvenile will be responsible for staying in contact with probation officer on a monthly basis for an additional ten months. Youth to Youth is an Ohio prevention program designed to target middle school and high school students in order to inform and provide them with the tools to avoid succumbing to peer pressure and successfully avoid the use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. The goal of its many projects is harnessing the powerful influence of peer pressure and turning it into a positive influence of youths supporting youths in avoiding the use of harmful substances. The program inspires youths to encourage their peers to lead a healthy and wholesome life and to not be scared of saying no to peers encouraging negative behavior. Youth to Youth addresses peer pressure at a local and state level and supports school in developing programs designed to assist youths in avoiding the usage of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. Through youth involvement the juvenile becomes empowered to avoid harmful substances and negative peers resulting in fewer cases of juvenile delinquency or crime. When juveniles model positive behavior the behavior will become more common than the negative behaviors associated with substance abuse. Youth to Youth also addresses sensitive topics that

Crime Causation

could negatively impact the life of the juvenile and provides educator with the necessary information and tools to assist youths in changing the direction of their lives. Through Youth to Youth the juvenile will gain necessary life skills and assist them in becoming better equipped to deal with the pressures of life. Juveniles are provided with workshops, training, materials, resources, conferences, and newsletters that will assist in guiding their positive progress and assist the juvenile in making positive decisions and modeling positive behaviors for other peers. Without prevention programs, such as Youth to Youth, some juveniles will not have the necessary skills to avoid engaging in juvenile delinquency or crime. The program encourages personal growth and positive educational environments for youths.

Crime Causation

References National Criminal Justice Reference Service. (2000). Diversion Programs: An Overview. (NCJRS). Retrieved June 17, 2012 from http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=ncjrs&aq=f&aqi Wonacott, M. (2008). Ohio Juvenile Justice Diversion Program. Retrieved June 17, 2012 from http://jfs.ohio.gov/owd/WorkforceProf/Youth/Docs/Juvenile_Justice_WIA_Youth_Svcs Youth to Youth. (2012). Meeting the Needs of Peer Pressured Teens. Retrieved June 17, 2012 From http://www.youthtoyouth.net/about/index.html