Youth Diversion

Youth Diversion Fast Facts

  • The Youth Diversion Program began in February 2000. It was developed for first-time, non-violent youth offenders arrested in St. Clair County.
  • Upon completion of the program, youth will not be prosecuted for their offenses, therefore keeping their juvenile records free from charges.
  • Youth in the program are between the ages of eleven and seventeen.
  • The goal of the Diversion Program is to reduce the rates of youth being rearrested. Similar programs developed by Boy Scout Councils around the country have been able to reduce the recidivism rates from 85% to nearly 15%. The St. Clair County Youth Diversion Program has a recidivism rate of 9%!
  • In order to graduate, youth attend ten different meetings and complete a minimum of twenty hours of volunteer community work.
  • We start a new Diversion group every month.
  • Youth Diversion Program saves the county thousands of dollars each year. For example it costs the county $100 per day to house a juvenile in the Detention Center! It costs Lewis & Clark Council $100 per participant per year to run the Diversion Program.
  • A majority of the offenses are theft-related charges. Many (80%) are referred from the Fairview Heights Police Department (most youth are typically arrested in St. Clair Square). In 2007, we had 139 youth referred to Youth Diversion. Of those, 113 are either currently participating or have graduated from the program.
  • The law enforcement agencies currently participating in the program include: Fairview Heights, Belleville, O’Fallon, Cahokia, St. Clair County Sheriff Department and East St. Louis. We are in the process of expanding to the Collinsville Police Department.
  • Meeting topics in the program include Volunteering, Decision Making, Drug and Alcohol Education, Career Planning, and Non-Violent Conflict Resolution.
  • Youth Diversion participants must earn 1,000 points in order to graduate. Points are earned for meeting attendance, punctuality, community service, and independent study items including writing thank you notes, introducing speakers, and completing additional volunteer work.