Does Diversion work in Juvenile Justice, or is just another exercise in net-widening?

INTRODUCTION Net widening is a term used whereby initiatives intended to divert young people away from the juvenile justice system may in fact serve to bring others within its parameters. According to Condliffe (1998) diversionary schemes heighten the risk of young people coming into contact with the juvenile justice system. He argues that they may have had lesser or no action taken against them if diversion was not available. Currently most states in Australia have some …

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