Population: Youth
Legal Features: N/A
Law Type: Statute
Excerpt of Relevant Text:
(1)(a) In order to more fully implement the stated objectives of this title 19, the general assembly declares its intent to establish a juvenile diversion program that integrates restorative justice practices to provide community-based alternatives to the formal court system to reduce juvenile crime and recidivism and improve positive juvenile outcomes, change juvenile offenders’ behavior and attitudes, promote juvenile offenders’ accountability, recognize and support the rights of victims, heal the harm to relationships and the community caused by juvenile crime, and reduce the costs within the juvenile justice system. […]
(2) The division of criminal justice of the department of public safety, referred to in this section as the “division of criminal justice”, is authorized to establish and administer a juvenile diversion program that seeks to divert juveniles from the juvenile justice system and integrate restorative justice practices. To effectuate the program, the division shall allocate money within each judicial district and may contract with district attorneys’ offices, governmental units, and nongovernmental agencies for reasonable and necessary expenses and services to serve each judicial district to divert juveniles and provide services, if warranted, for each eligible juvenile through community-based programs providing an alternative to entry into the formal legal system, a petition filed pursuant to section 19-2.5-502, or an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to section 19-2.5-907. […]
(d.5) “Restorative justice” has the same meaning as set forth in section 19-1-103.