Orange County, Calif., April 24, 2025 –  The Orange County Probation Department (OC Probation) was awarded a grant by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) funded through the Proposition 47 Grant Program, focused on supporting mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and diversion programs for those in the criminal justice system. OC Probation is utilizing this opportunity to fund community-based organizations (CBOs) and other supportive services to be available to local law enforcement agencies within the county to address youth delinquency behaviors without the need of Probation intervention.

This collaborative partnership is intended to expand diversion services for juvenile offenders across Orange County, promoting timely intervention, treatment, and accountability.  

Diversion programs are designed to divert youth from Probation intervention, detention and potential prosecution within the juvenile justice system. Community based partnerships with diversion services and local law enforcement provides comprehensive services for youth and their families, focusing on addressing the behaviors and needs of the youth with a balance of accountability and support to provide the best opportunity to prevent further delinquent behavior.  

A requirement of the awarded grant included the creation of a Local Advisory Committee (LAC). OC Probation actively sought the involvement of community stakeholders and partners that have expertise working with and providing services to this target population. The LAC was assembled by reaching out to the co-chairs of the Orange County Juvenile Reentry Subcommittee, the Orange County Chiefs of Police and Sheriff’s Association (OCCPSA), the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), the OC Superior Juvenile Court, and several faith-based organizations. Most notably, OC Probation partnered with justice-involved individuals willing to provide feedback on service gaps and share their personal experiences. The LAC will focus on identifying strategies and aid in the development of the grant project.

Within OC, only a few local jurisdictions have diversion options outside of referring a formal application for petition to OC Probation. Petitions received that are not legally required to be forwarded to the Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) or cases that are returned by OCDA to be handled informally, are assessed for appropriate diversion services facilitated through OC Probation. 

OC Probation tracks referrals by city of residence, referring police department, zip code, race, ethnicity, and many other metrics. Of the 163-youth assisted through diversion programs since July 2023, over 50% of youth had academic related problems. Additionally, over 40% of youth had issues with substance abuse and delinquent associations. About a quarter of the youth referred to the diversion had a diagnosed learning disability.

OC Probation will coordinate contracts with CBOs throughout the county, concentrating on building up diversion services in areas where the highest number of referrals are received that could potentially be diverted. These providers will be required to provide trauma-informed, gender-responsive, culturally competent and other supportive services to assist in building strong peer and familial relationships. The target population would be youth under the age of 18 residing in a city not served by existing programs and arrested for an offense that would fall under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The new diversion programs will concentrate on providing services to address mental health concerns, substance abuse disorders, runaway patterns, delinquent associations, gang associations, attendance problems, identified learning disabilities, and behavior and academic problems.  

Chief Deputy Probation Officer Jessica Johnson stated,

“What a great opportunity to support diversion services throughout Orange County. It will be beneficial to both local law enforcement agencies as well as the youth and families within those communities, by expanding diversion options and providing essential supports and resources more quickly”.

CDPO Johnson further emphasized “additional community-based diversion services will reduce the need for OC Probation’s involvement in many diversion appropriate cases, which supports best practices within the juvenile justice system.”

Access to essential resources and diversion services plays a crucial role in addressing the root causes of youth involvement in delinquent behaviors. The ability for a local law enforcement to refer youth to a community-based resource for diversion purposes removes the need for OC Probation involvement in diversion appropriate cases and is aligned with juvenile delinquency best practices. Through such efforts, we can create meaningful, long-term impacts in the lives of at-risk youth and within the communities they reside.

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