An evidence review of youth diversion programmes

Understanding the evolution and implementation of various responses to youth crime in England and Wales, including diversion programmes, is fundamental to formulating more effective strategies. The shift in the YJS, from the police holding the sole responsibility for youth crime responses to introducing multiple approaches like Youth Restorative Disposals, Triage schemes, Youth Justice Liaison and Diversion schemes, and 'Children first' models, underscores the complexity and nuances involved. In addition to examining the implementation of current diversionary strategies, this review seeks to clarify the range of categorisations of diversion programmes. Considering diverse international, policy, and scholarly views on diversion coupled with the diversity of implementation across YOTs in England and Wales, which may present potential inconsistencies in their application and understanding, this review offers an
opportunity to comprehensively understand diversionary practice. This knowledge can ultimately inform policy and practice that better supports young people's transitions away from crime. In addition, very little is known about the effect of the increasing use of diversionary practices in England and Wales. In the inspectorate comments on the lack of reliable national or local data on the number of CYP who complete (voluntary) interventions or on the number of CYP who reoffend following intervention. Given the “accelerated trend” of dealing with CYP who offend in an informal way (i.e., avoiding formal CJS processes), this
review is of key significance.