Objective
The Children’s Court Youth Diversion Service (CCYD) is a pre-plea option that provides an opportunity for young people appearing before the criminal division of the Children’s Court to:
- accept responsibility for their behaviour
- understand the harm caused by their actions
- complete a diversion plan, involving activities intended to reduce the likelihood of further offending
- have the charge/s discharged, on successful completion of the diversion plan
- avoid the stigma associated with a criminal record, and its impact on future life opportunities.
CCYD complements the existing suite of options available to divert children and young people from further progression into the criminal justice system. Other options occur pre-court (police cautions), pre-plea (Ropes - a one day interactive education program) and post-plea (deferral of sentence and group conferencing).
Eligibility
CCYD targets young people with limited or no criminal history who would otherwise be sentenced to an outcome not requiring supervision from youth justice.
The young person’s history and circumstances of their offending are considered in determining whether diversion is appropriate. There are no automatic exclusions regarding the nature or type of offence eligible for diversion, apart from offences that carry a mandatory penalty.
Eligibility is informed by consultation with the young person, their family or carer, legal representative and Victoria Police prosecutors.
Legislation
The Children Youth and Families Act 2005 (External link) require both the prosecution and the accused to consent to diversion.
Approach
Diversion coordinators:
- attend all scheduled sittings of the Criminal Division of the Children’s Court
- conduct assessments following prosecution consent and a magistrate’s referral
- provide advice to the court on the young person’s suitability for diversion
- develop a plan, tailored to the young person’s circumstances
- engage the young person to foster completion of the diversion plan
- report back to the court on a young person’s compliance with the court’s direction.
The diversion plan may contain a range of activities for the child or young person. The diversion plan is:
- designed to build upon or strengthen the individual’s protective factors
- promote reparation of harm caused by the offence/s
- proportionate to the offence/s before the court.
The approach used by the Children’s Court Youth Diversion Service is underpinned by research that shows that over-intervening can increase a young person’s risk of reoffending.
Contact CCYD
Central email: ccyd@justice.vic.gov.au (External link)
Region | Office location | Courts |
---|---|---|
Loddon Mallee |
Bendigo Level 2/10-16 Forest Street, Bendigo VIC 3550 Tel: (03) 5440 6100 Fax: (03) 4433 9002 |
Bendigo Echuca Castlemaine Maryborough |
Mildura 253 11th Street Mildura Tel: (03) 5022 3111 PO Box 617 Mildura 3502 Fax: (03) 5022 3199 |
Mildura Robinvale Swan Hill Ouyen Kerang |
|
North West Metropolitan |
Fitzroy 145 Smith Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Tel: (03) 9412 5341 or 1300 360 408 |
Broadmeadows
|
Preston 679-685 High Street, Preston VIc 3072 Tel: 1300 664 977 Fax: 1300 669 522 |
Heidelberg Neighbourhood Justice Centre, Collingwood |
|
Footscray 71 Moreland Street, Footscray VIC 3011 Tel: 1300 360 462 Fax: (03)9974 4515 |
Werribee
|
|
Sunshine Address: 16-18 Hertford Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 Tel: (03) 9229 4100 Fax: (03) 92294199 |
Sunshine
|
|
Grampians
|
Horsham 21 McLachlan Street, Horsham VIC 3400 Tel: (03) 5381 9777 Fax: (03) 5381 9710
|
Hopetoun Horsham Edenhope Nhill St Arnaud Stawell |
Ballarat Cnr Mair and Doveton Street, Ballarat 3353 Tel: (03) 5333 6530 Fax: (03) 5333 6094 |
Ararat Ballarat
|
|
Barwon South West |
Geelong Level 2, State Government Offices, 30-38 Little Malop Street (corner of Fenwick Street and Little Malop Street), Geelong VIC 3220 Tel: (03) 5226 4540 Fax: (03) 5381 9710 |
Colac Geelong |
Warrnambool Shop 2, 109 Lava Street Warrnambool VIC 3280 Tel: (03) 5561 9444 Fax: (03) 5561 9400 |
Hamilton Warrnambool Portland |
|
Gippsland |
Bairnsdale 7 Service Street, Bairnsdale VIC 3875 Tel: (03) 5150 4500 Fax: (03) 5150 4586 |
Bairnsdale Lakes Entrance Omeo Orbost |
Morwell 9-11 Hazelwood Road, Morwell VIC 3875 Tel: (03) 5136 2400 Fax: (03) 5136 2444 Traralgon 8-12 Seymour Street, Traralgon VIC 3844 Tel: (03) 5177 2500 Fax: (03) 5177 2555 |
Morwell Wonthaggi
|
|
South East Metropolitan
|
Dandenong 165-169 Thomas St, Dandenong VIC 3175 Tel: (03) 8765 5444 Fax: (03) 87657575 |
Dandenong
|
Frankston 431 Nepean Highway, Frankston VIC 3199 Tel: (03) 9784 3280 Fax: 9874 3111 |
Frankston Moorabbin |
|
Ringwood 25 Ringwood Street, Ringwood VIC 3134 Tel: (03) 9871 5199 Fax: (03) 9870 6688 |
Ringwood |
|
Box Hill 883 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill VIC 3128 Tel: (03) 9843 6000 Fax: (03) 9843 6100 |
Box Hill |
|
Hume |
Seymour Level 1, 8-10 Elizabeth St, Seymour VIC 3660 Tel: (03) 5771 1600 Fax: (03) 5771 1610 Shepparton 163 Welsford Street, Shepparton VIC 3630 Tel: (03) 5832 1500 Fax: (03) 5831 1851 |
Cobram Seymour Shepparton |
Wangaratta 43-47 Rowan Street, Wangaratta VIC 3676 Tel: (03) 5722 0555 Fax: (03) 5722 0577 Wodonga 55 Hovell St, Wodonga VIC 3690 Tel: (02) 6055 7777 |
Benalla Corryong Mansfield Myrtleford Wangaratta Wodonga |