Diversion in Action: New Hampshire

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Diversion in Action Spotlight Series text under an illustrated spotlight

This summer, we hope you join us for our “Diversion in Action” spotlight series! We’ll be showcasing how CYJ Fellows across the country are building effective, locally tailored diversion programs through their Capstone Projects. These stories highlight the power of cross-system collaboration, community leadership, and data-informed strategies. If you’re looking to strengthen or expand diversion efforts in your jurisdiction, don’t miss this opportunity to learn what’s working–check out our Diversion in Youth Justice Certificate Program, now accepting applications through August 15th! 

Featured in this video: Amy McCormack (Associate Bureau Chief Field Services, Juvenile Justice, NH Division for Children, Youth and Families); Hon. Susan Ashley (Deputy Administrative Judge, New Hampshire Circuit Court); Pamela Jones (Managing Attorney, New Hampshire Public Defender)

The New Hampshire team sought to maximize diversion and transform juvenile probation into a purposeful intervention targeting youth who pose significant risk for serious re-offending through individualized, positive, pro-social approaches with racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and geographical equity. Key strategies for the Capstone Project included:

  • Conducting focus group meetings with youth, families, and staff across agencies
  • Creating a database to assess needs, service capacity, and youth outcomes
  • Developing a risk and needs assessment around Child Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS)
  • Identifying gaps in diversion services
  • Revising court rules for juvenile probation to make them more individualized
  • Advocating for legislative changes to support diversion, assessment, and overall probation practices

Over the past five years, the team has met all of these goals. Notably, in 2022, they successfully advocated for legislative changes regarding assessment. Prior to filing a delinquency petition with the court for a youth, the youth is offered a voluntary needs assessment centered around the CANS, administered by an Assessment Juvenile Probation and Parole Officer with the youth and families’ consent. Around 74% of families consent to participate in the assessment. After the assessment, the Department recommends if a petition is necessary. If a youth or family declines to complete the assessment initially, they are offered another opportunity to do so once they are connected with a public defender.

The New Hampshire team implemented these changes using a phased approach. The team specifically included areas of the state with strong diversion programs in their first cohort for piloting their initiative. After six months, the team gathered data from this cohort about what worked and what did not before adding a second cohort in July 2022. The team repeated the data collection and analysis process to identify strengths and areas for improvement before bringing on the final cohort and achieving statewide implementation.

As a result of this work, New Hampshire has seen the total number of delinquency petitions filed in court decrease. Furthermore, the total number of voluntary episodes of treatment per year has increased, and the daily count of youth in residential placement settings has decreased.