Juvenile diversion program steers kids back on the straightened path
RAPID CITY, S.D. ( KOTA TV ) The State of South Dakota is awarding funds to 25 counties for successfully diverting juvenile offenders from the criminal justice system.
The counties will share a total of $242,500 in funding under a fiscal incentive program as part of the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Initiative (Senate Bill 73) passed by the 2015 Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
“Two years ago, South Dakota had the second highest juvenile commitment rate in the nation. This ranking was not in line with the number of juvenile arrests for violent crime, which was one-third of the national average,” Gov. Daugaard said. “Under the juvenile justice reforms, these counties are helping the state reverse that trend by allowing more non-violent youth offenders to stay within their communities to get the help they need.
