Gazette - Youth crime reduction through intervention and diversion

BEST PRACTICE

By Louise Logue
RCMP National Intervention/Diversion Unit

In 1994, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Youth Section began efforts to divert young offenders away from the formal criminal justice system. A small OPS team began solidifying partnerships with youth-serving agencies in Ottawa, thus enabling police officers to consider community diversion rather than criminal charges for young offenders involved in minor criminal conduct such as vandalism or minor assault.

In 2006, these efforts culminated in the launch of the Ottawa Community Youth Diversion Program (OCYDP). This community-led program provides police officers with the tools to identify young offenders who are at low or moderate risk to re-offend. Officers refer identified youths to a team of trained community youth workers, who then direct the youths to community resources that best address the factors that fuel their criminal conduct.

Screening for risk

In 2002, the OPS Youth Section established a formal link with Dr. Robert Hoge, a Carleton University professor and leading expert in the area of criminal psychology. The partnership led to the creation of a validated, standardized “risk screening tool” to help police officers determine a young offender’s risk for recidivism.

The screening tool assists police officers in identifying and ranking certain risk factors such as substance abuse, negative peer associations and attitudes that support criminal conduct. Although the tool helps highlight a young offender’s need for diversion services, it is not intended to replace police discretion and professional judgement in the decision-making process.

Intervention and diversion

Around 2005, the OPS Youth Intervention and Diversion Section incorporated the risk screening tool into a broader operational model for effectively diverting young offenders. This “Community Diversion Model” now forms the basis for the OCYDP, which is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services and managed by the Ottawa Boys and Girls Club.

Under the program, a designated OPS Youth Intervention and Diversion officer reviews files involving young offenders and uses both the screening tool and officer discretion to refer at-risk youth to the OCYDP team. For these “pre-charge” referrals (prior to any court action), the young offender must admit responsibility for the criminal incident and co-sign a voluntary referral form with his or her guardian. Crown attorneys can also refer young offenders to the OCYDP “post-charge” (after charges have been laid in court).

After referral, the OCYDP team reviews the file, meets with the young offender and guardian, administers a standardized, validated risk-needs assessment, and formulates a tailor-made “case action plan” for the individual youth (and his or her family, if required). With approximately 30 community-based agencies at the ready, the young offender is referred for intervention services that address his or her identified risk factors. Services could include drug or alcohol counselling, anger management counselling, recreational engagement, victim-offender mediation or community service hours.

The action plan also includes measures to repair any harm caused by the criminal incident — for example, through community service, apology to the victim or restitution. Because the program reveals an individual’s risk factors and addresses them in a timely, meaningful and appropriate manner, it reduces the risk for re-offending.

Looking to the future

As of February 23, 2008, 398 youth had been referred to the OCYDP — including 238 pre-charge referrals and 104 post-charge referrals. Of the pre-charge referrals, 79 per cent successfully completed the diversion program, as did 71 per cent of the post-charge referrals. OCYDP partners are currently completing a study on recidivism rates among program graduates, as well as seeking additional funding to accommodate the estimated 1,200 Ottawa youth who could benefit from the diversion program each year.

Drawing from the OPS experience, RCMP Insp Rick Shaw of National Crime Prevention Services is now leading work to establish an RCMP Community Diversion Model that will benefit any community in any RCMP detachment or division wishing to engage in effective and efficient diversion efforts.

Louise Logue, a registered nurse, was hired by the Ottawa Police Service in 1994 to help develop a community-specific youth intervention/diversion strategy. She has since been seconded to the RCMP’s National Crime Prevention Services to assist in developing a similar RCMP strategy with national scope.