Diversion in Youth Justice

Diversion in Youth Justice Header showing program dates (Sept. 30-Oct.3, 2025) and application deadline (Aug. 8, 2025).

The Diversion in Youth Justice Certificate Program is designed to equip multidisciplinary teams, including court and legal personnel, law enforcement, behavioral health providers, educators, and community leaders, with the knowledge, frameworks, and collaborative skills necessary to establish, implement, and sustain effective diversion initiatives. Participants will learn about the research behind diversion, examine diversion as a key decision point for advancing equity, and explore promising alternatives such as pre-arrest and pre-court diversion models. This Certificate Program also emphasizes the distinction between diversion and deflection, the risks of net-widening and eligibility creep, and the importance of community-led and restorative responses that address the root causes of young people’s misbehaviors.  

Throughout the training, participants will engage in facilitated discussions, peer learning exercises, and reflection activities to explore diversion strategies and practices that shift power from systems to communities. The curriculum highlights innovative models from across the country, including pre-arrest diversion programs, school-based initiatives, and community-driven restorative justice efforts. Hands-on planning time is embedded throughout the training to support teams in developing action plans aligned with their local priorities.

After completing the program, participants will be responsible for the development of a data-driven local Capstone Project. After the Capstone Project is developed by the participating jurisdiction and approved by Georgetown University, participants will receive an Executive Certificate from the university and become members of the Fellows Network. Additionally, all participants are offered technical assistance from instructors to aid in the implementation of their project.

Curriculum

The Diversion in Youth Justice Certificate Program is designed to equip multidisciplinary teams with the knowledge, tools, and collaborative strategies needed to embed diversion as the cornerstone of their local youth justice practices. Grounded in positive youth development, racial equity, and community empowerment, the program blends evidence‑based content with hands-on planning, peer exchange, and technical guidance. Throughout four intensive days, participants will move from a shared definition of diversion to an actionable plan for expanding community‑led, developmentally responsive alternatives to formal system involvement.

The curriculum covers the following themes:

This program centers diversion not as a peripheral alternative, but as the default pathway for youth who come into contact with legal systems. Participants will explore the developmental science and research evidence behind diverting young people away from formal system processing. The curriculum also emphasizes the cascading harms associated with court processing, such as deeper system involvement and disparities, and identifies opportunities to intervene earlier and more effectively.

Participants will explore how to structure diversion programs that are grounded in evidence, equity, and positive youth development. This includes clarifying what qualifies as true diversion (e.g., pre-arrest and pre-court pathways), avoiding ineffective or punitive models, and preventing practices that may cause net-widening and eligibility creep. Embedded within this theme is an exploration of how laws, policies, and funding streams can be leveraged to expand access to diversion, especially for youth historically excluded from these opportunities. Sessions focus on developing program models that are community-centered, developmentally responsive, and culturally relevant.

Equity is a central pillar of this program. Participants will use data and case examples to examine how vague criteria, implicit bias, and system-led practices contribute to disparities in diversion access and outcomes. The curriculum supports participating teams in identifying disparities in their own jurisdictions, uncovering root causes, and designing cross-system strategies to ensure diversion is implemented fairly, transparently, and consistently.

Sustainable diversion efforts require robust cross-sector partnerships and a reallocation of power and resources toward impacted communities. This theme will support participants in developing shared infrastructures, strengthening referral systems, and investing in local community capacity to lead diversion initiatives. Emphasis will be placed on developing formal agreements, shifting organizational culture, and ensuring that those closest to the challenges are central to designing the solutions. 

Participants will engage in candid conversations regarding the political, cultural, and institutional resistance that often undermines diversion initiatives. Through practical exercises, scenario planning, and facilitated discussions, participants will learn how to build public support and respond to stakeholder concerns.

Selection Criteria

The Diversion in Youth Justice Certificate Program is designed for individual professionals and multidisciplinary teams working in youth justice, child welfare, education, mental and behavioral health, law enforcement, and community-based organizations who are well-positioned to advance meaningful and sustainable diversion efforts in their jurisdictions. Applications from multidisciplinary teams will receive greater preference and higher priority in the selection process. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as a team of up to 10 people, as this structure better supports cross-sector collaboration and the implementation of system change efforts following the program.

Required team members for county or city-level teams include:

  • A leader from a community-based provider organization actively involved in diversion initiatives
  • A young person or family representative with lived experience in the youth justice system
  • A senior youth justice administrator (e.g., chief juvenile probation officer, director of a youth justice department)
  • A judge or senior court administrator
  • A prosecutor or a senior staff member from the District Attorney’s Office

To strengthen local coordination and deepen system impact, you may consider including:

  • A Public Defender or youth/family advocate
  • An education representative, such as a school district leader or educational advocate
  • A law enforcement leader, including a school resource officer if applicable

State-level teams focusing on diversion initiatives are also encouraged to apply. We recognize that the composition of state teams may differ from that of local teams. If any of the required roles listed above do not apply to your team, you will have the opportunity to explain those differences and describe your rationale in the application. We also invite prospective state teams to contact CYJ teams in advance to discuss how best to align their structure and goals with the program framework.

Those selected for participation should also demonstrate an understanding of the local challenges that have arisen in youth diversion to date and a commitment to overcoming those challenges. During the program, participants will be encouraged to tailor their Capstone Projects to focus on areas in which they can have the most impact.

Because the Certificate Program is designed to benefit current and future leaders, CYJ will accept only those applicants from appropriate professional roles, possessing the needed experience and expertise. A preference will be given to those with the ability to advance system transformation efforts upon completion of the Certificate Program. There are no minimum education or experience requirements. This program is NOT accepting applications from students who do not hold a professional role in a youth-serving organization unless those individuals have lived expertise with youth-serving systems.

Application Guidelines

Applications are now open! Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 8, 2025 (in the applicant’s local time zone). Please download the RFA below for additional information.

While each team member is required to submit an application online, only ONE set of Background Question Responses is required per team. If you have been designated to submit essay responses on behalf of your team, you will be prompted to upload them as part of your application. 

If you are the designated team liaison, or an individual applicant applying without a team, please:

If you are a team member and NOT responsible for responding to the Background Questions, please:

After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email within the week. If you do not receive a confirmation, or if you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact CYJ staff at centerforyouthjustice@georgetown.edu.

Download the Application Materials here (link).

More Information

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More About Application Guidelines

As part of the Certificate Program, participants are required to develop and implement a Capstone Project during the twelve-month period following the completion of their Certificate Program session.

Icons of gears working well together, representing a capstone project

More About Capstone Projects

The primary goal of all of our Certificate Programs is not simply knowledge, but effective implementation in a local reform effort. We study “what works” and collaborate with leaders to bridge the gap between theory and practice.