INDIANAPOLIS – A program designed to divert juveniles from the criminal justice system is expanding in Indianapolis, giving more teens facing low-level, non-violent charges an opportunity to avoid jail and instead get help turning their lives around.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s juvenile diversion program, launched in 2021, partners with the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis to offer an alternative to arrest for youth up to age 18. Eligible offenses range from shoplifting and fighting to vandalism.
“No officer takes joy in putting handcuffs on a kid and sending them to jail. That’s what we want to avoid,” said IMPD Deputy Chief Tanya Terry. “We know our kids are more susceptible to peer pressure than grown-ups. Does that need to land a kid in jail all the time? I don’t think so.”