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Diversion and Alternatives Reform Team Guidebook
Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, 2023
The newly released Diversion and Alternatives Reform Team (DART) Guidebook, representing an updated version of our previously published Alternative Response Initiative (ARI) Workbook, was developed to support youth justice system stakeholders in reviewing and reforming diversionary and alternative accountability policies and practices. Retaining the successful five-step approach from the original ARI publication, the DART Guidebook builds upon lessons learned from our jurisdictional experiences since 2019. It also incorporates new examples and testimonials from youth justice professionals across the United States, emphasizing the potential for successful collaborative diversion practices that offer a comprehensive set of alternative responses to formal prosecution. The DART Guidebook balances accountability, victim rights, positive behavior change, and community safety, while aiming to enhance positive opportunities youth and families.