Title
Juvenile Offender Diversion Program Grant
Action
Action:
A. Accept a grant in the amount of $95,389 from the Mecklenburg County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council to fund the Juvenile Offender Diversion Program, and
B. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $95,389 in funds from Mecklenburg County.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Kerr Putney, Police
Diego Anselmo, Police
Cara Evans-Patterson, Police
Explanation
* Annually, Mecklenburg County's Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) receives funds from the North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice for programs targeting youth offenders.
* The JCPC has awarded the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) $95,389 to fund the sixth year of CMPD's Juvenile Offender Diversion Program.
* The grant funding will fully fund the salary and benefits for a Diversion Specialist position and workshops for juvenile offenders and their parents or guardians.
* The program grant will enable school resource officers, patrol, and court counselors to refer up to 140 first-time juvenile offenders to a diversion program focused on building interpersonal and decision-making skills.
* In addition, parental skill training will be provided to the parents/guardians of program participants.
* Juvenile offenders who have committed a first offense, such as simple assault, larceny, public disturbance, trespassing, or damage to property may be referred to the program if they meet the criteria established by CMPD and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney.
* The youth are referred to the program in lieu of being arrested for the offense they have committed.
* Pre-adjudicated youth who are given the opportunity to attend the diversion program in lieu of arrest, but fail to do so, will then be subject to arrest.
* To date, the program has served 1,919 youth, 1,716 (89.4%) of whom did not commit any further offenses 12 months after program completion.
* The grant requires a 30 percent in-kind match which will be achieved using a po...
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