CHOICE

A Spokane Valley teenager arrested for possession of alcohol had a choice – take her chances in the juvenile court system or enter into a diversion program. “I went into the diversion program about a month ago, three days before my 18th birthday,” said Shylah, whose last name is being withheld to protect her identity. “I’m really grateful that I got to join this program.”

Spokane County’s juvenile diversion program is an alternative to the formal court system that allows juveniles arrested for minor offenses – such as shoplifting, assault, trespass, reckless endangerment or possession of alcohol or marijuana – to have a second chance and avoid having a permanent juvenile record, said Scott Ryman, diversion program manager. But it still holds them accountable for their misbehavior.

Shylah was drinking with seven other teenagers when she got in trouble. Since she was 17 at the time, so she had the option of doing diversion. An 18-year-old friend didn’t.

“It helped me to learn my lesson before becoming an adult,” Shylah said. “Ten years down the road what I did could have come back up. This way it’s not going to hurt me in the long run, and it could have.”

The first- or second-time minor offenders usually start the program by going to a Neighborhood Accountability Board meeting. Volunteers then meet with the teenager and their family to assess their needs. The four boards are staffed by about 45 volunteers. Each board represents different areas of Spokane County (Valley, South Hill, Northeast and Northwest).

“We talk to the kid and the family to get a read on whether the kid has learned anything from the experience, see if they know what they did was wrong and their reaction to the charges,” volunteer Mary Harvill said. “We also find out what’s going on at school and what’s going on at home.”

Harvill is a part-time law student who worked in the legal field for several years. She’s been a volunteer with the program for about three years.

“I volunteer because I like having a positive impact on a kid and a family,” the 44-year-old Deer Park resident said. “I like being able to ask questions you couldn’t in a trial situation. It’s more of a problem solving situation.”

Diversion contracts take the place of a hearing before a judge, eliminating the need for probation, Ryman said. However, the program still requires conditions including community service, counseling, educational classes, restitution, curfews and school attendance.

“My mom works at a church and I’m helping out with a youth group there,” Shylah said. “They are junior high kids, so I can help them learn from my mistakes.”

Any nonprofit is an acceptable place to do community service, Ryman said. The juvenile offenders under 12 years old, usually volunteer at churches or help neighbors. The older kids work at a variety of places including Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul and Habitat for Humanity.

“I always tell the kids that community service isn’t necessarily punishment,” MacDonald said. “It might be a chance to find out about something you like to do or give you something to put on a resume.”

Youngsters referred to the diversion program, which has been in operation since 1977, tend to fall into two categories, Ryman said. Many kids self correct after getting caught because they have the kind of self respect, response to consequences and healthy family situations that prevent them from re-offending about 70 percent of the time.

The other group is often struggling with serious levels of anxiety and depression, Ryman said. Of the roughly 2,000 arrested each year in Spokane County about 50 percent seen at the Neighborhood Accountability Boards receive emotional wellness interventions like counseling and chemical dependency treatment.

“The diversion program’s success is heavily linked to the competency of its volunteers to find this balance between criminal justice and effective social work,” Ryman said. “A volunteer’s job is to give resources and consequences. Restorative justice is the concept we want the volunteers to be comfortable with. Reconnect the kid to the community…combine community service with counseling.”

Kristin MacDonald has been a volunteer on the South Hill’s Neighborhood Accountability Board for about 11/2 years. The 32-year-old is a law school student at Gonzaga University.

“I used to work with a portion of welfare clients who had criminal records,” she said. “I got involved with kids to talk to them about the consequences of having criminal convictions that they don’t really think about.

“I think it’s striking how normal the kids are that come through,” MacDonald said. “They didn’t think about what they were doing, or other stuff going on that was having an impact on their lives.

“The program balances the individual needs for kids and the need for them to be held accountable,” MacDonald said. “It is a good time to have that conversation with kids.”

Kids spend an average of two to three months in the diversion program, Ryman said. The agreement they made at the initial meeting are fulfilled during that time. Most arrangements involve at least one educational class, 10 to 15 hours of community service, a social risk assessment and a pro-social activity, an action that builds on their strengths and promotes their self worth.

“I’ve had one kid in three years time get charged with a second crime,” Harvill said. “I always tell the kids: Don’t come back; or no offense, but I don’t want to see you here again.”