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 |
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Loddon Mallee |
Bendigo Level 2/10-16 Forest Street, Bendigo VIC 3550 Tel: (03) 5440 6100 Fax: (03) 4433 9002 |
Bendigo Echuca Castlemaine Maryborough Kyneton |
Mildura 59 Madden Street Mildura VIC 3500 Tel: (03) 5021 6100 Fax: (03) 5021 6111 |
Mildura Robinvale Swan Hill Ouyen Kerang |
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North West Metropolitan |
Broadmeadows 25-27 Dimboola Rd, Broadmeadows VIC 3047 Tel: (03) 9936 9100 Fax: (03) 9936 9101 |
Melbourne Broadmeadows
|
Reservoir 909 High Street, Reservoir VIC 3073 Tel: (03) 8256 9200 Fax: (03) 8256 9201 |
Heidelberg Neighbourhood Justice Centre, Collingwood |
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Werribee 87 Synnot St, Werribee VIC 3030 Tel: (03) 9974 4500 Fax: (03) 9974 4515 |
Werribee
|
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Sunshine Address: 499 Ballarat Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 Tel: 1300 403 168 Fax: (03) 9055 5504 |
Sunshine
|
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Grampians
|
Horsham 21 McLachlan Street, Horsham VIC 3400 Tel: (03) 4344 14444 Fax: (03) 4344 1401
|
Hopetoun Horsham Edenhope Nhill St Arnaud Stawell |
Ballarat 22 Camp Street, Ballarat VIC 3353 Tel: 1300 177 422 Fax: (03) 4334 5201 |
Ararat Ballarat Bacchus Marsh
|
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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 769 Raglan Parade Warrnambool VIC 3280 Tel: (03) 4504 5555 Fax: (03) 4504 5500 |
Hamilton Warrnambool Portland |
|
Gippsland |
Bairnsdale 7 Service Street, Bairnsdale VIC 3875 Tel: (03) 5150 4500 Fax: (03) 5150 4586 |
Sale Bairnsdale Orbost |
Morwell 9-11 Hazelwood Road, Morwell VIC 3875 Tel: (03) 4141 1400 Fax: (03) 4141 1444 |
Latrobe Valley (Morwell) Wonthaggi Korumburra |
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South East Metropolitan
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Dandenong 165-169 Thomas St, Dandenong VIC 3175 Tel: (03) 8765 5444 Fax: (03) 8765 7575 |
Dandenong
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Frankston 431 Nepean Highway, Frankston VIC 3199 Tel: (03) 9784 3280 Fax: 9874 3111 |
Frankston Moorabbin |
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Ringwood 60-62 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood VIC 3134 Tel: (03) 9871 5199 Fax: (03) 9870 6688 |
Ringwood |
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Box Hill 883 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill VIC 3128 Tel: (03) 9843 6000 Fax: (03) 9843 6100 |
Box Hill |
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Hume |
Seymour Level 1, 8-10 Elizabeth St, Seymour VIC 3660 Tel: (03) 5771 1600 Fax: (03) 5771 1610 Shepparton 307-331 Wyndham St, Shepparton VIC 3630 Tel: (03) 5832 1500 Fax: (03) 5831 1851 |
Cobram Seymour Shepparton |
Wangaratta 119-121 Murphy Street, Wangaratta VIC 3676 Tel: (03) 5723 6444 Wodonga 9 Watson St, Wodonga VIC 3690 Tel: 1300 159 469 |
Benalla Corryong Mansfield Myrtleford Wangaratta Wodonga |