Juvenile offenders; youth justice diversion programs.

Juvenile offenders; youth justice diversion programs. Authorizes any jurisdiction to establish a youth justice diversion program, defined in the bill as a diversionary program that (i) is monitored by a local youth justice diversion program advisory committee; (ii) uses juvenile volunteers as lawyers, jurors, and other court personnel; (iii) uses volunteer attorneys as judges; (iv) conducts peer trials, subject to the juvenile and domestic relations court's jurisdiction, of juveniles who are referred to the program by an intake officer; and (v) imposes various sentences emphasizing restitution, rehabilitation, accountability, competency building, and education, but not incarceration. The bill provides that a jurisdiction may establish a youth justice diversion program upon establishment of a local youth justice diversion program advisory committee and approval of the program by the chief judge of the juvenile and domestic relations court that serves such jurisdiction The bill requires each local youth justice diversion program advisory committee to establish criteria for the eligibility and participation of juveniles alleged to have committed a delinquent act other than an act that would be a felony or a Class 1 misdemeanor if committed by an adult, with the consent of the juvenile's parent or legal guardian, and to establish policies and procedures for the operation of such program. The bill provides that whenever an intake officer takes informal action on a complaint alleging that a child committed a delinquent act other than an act that would be a felony or a Class 1 misdemeanor if committed by an adult, the intake officer may refer the juvenile to a youth justice diversion program. The bill also adds provisions that the Department of Juvenile Justice shall develop a statewide evaluation model and conduct ongoing evaluations of the effectiveness and efficiency of youth justice diversion programs and report these evaluations to the General Assembly by December 1 of each year.