PHILADELPHIA, PA — In a significant shift to reduce youth involvement in the criminal justice system, the Philadelphia Police Department will no longer arrest juveniles for certain low-level offenses starting next week.
Instead, these young individuals will be directed to community-based diversion programs to provide intervention and support, according to a news report from CBS Philadelphia.
The station reports this initiative seeks to prevent unnecessary exposure to the criminal justice system and guide youth toward rehabilitation.
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Mike Cram emphasized the importance of the new initiative, telling CBS Philadelphia, “Kids do kids’ stuff. We were all there. We’ve all done stuff we shouldn’t have done. And at some point, somebody did an intervention. And this is what that is.”
CBS Philadelphia explained the program builds upon a similar approach implemented in Philadelphia schools, significantly reducing student arrests from approximately 1,500 annually to just over 100 last year.
The diversion plan is not intended to excuse serious crimes, said CBS Philadelphia, adding Cram clarified, “You’re out doing carjackings, you’re getting locked up. That’s not changing. The shootings, homicides, robberies—that doesn’t change.”
CBS Philadelphia explains that under the new policy, juvenile offenses are categorized into three distinct tiers based on severity.
The first tier involves the lowest-level offenses, such as disorderly conduct, where officers will release juveniles at the scene and refer them to community programs for support. The second tier includes offenses like retail theft and vandalism, where officers will transport juveniles home or to designated curfew centers, with a mandatory referral to diversion programs.
The third tier applies to more serious offenses committed by 10-to-12-year-olds, including car thefts and burglaries, reported CBS Philadelphia, stating these cases will still go through the city’s Juvenile Assessment Center, where a Youth Services Officer will determine the appropriate course of action.
Juveniles aged 10 to 17 involved in simple assault cases will be assessed individually.
CBS Philadelphia wrote the goal of the initiative is to prevent young people from becoming entangled in the legal system for minor offenses.
“How can we keep kids out of the system and then get them into a productive way of life?” Cram asked during his interview with CBS Philadelphia. The program is part of a broader movement across the country to shift from punitive measures to rehabilitative strategies, particularly for juveniles.
Rickey Duncan, director of the youth organization “New Options, More Opportunities,” was involved in shaping the program and emphasized the significance of avoiding unnecessary arrests.
“Not having to put handcuffs on and sit behind a police car—it’s positive, it’s very important,” Duncan told CBS Philadelphia, adding steering youth toward community programs instead of exposing them to punitive measures can lead to better outcomes.
“Once these kids find better things to do with their time through the programs they’re going to be put in, I think they’ll be a lot better and more productive citizens,” he told CBS Philadelphia.
CBS Philadelphia noted Philadelphia’s new approach underscores a broader shift in juvenile justice reform, focusing on intervention and rehabilitation instead of criminalization, and by reducing youth arrests and increasing support services, the initiative hopes to break cycles of incarceration and create pathways toward a more promising future for young people.
CBS Philadelphia reported ongoing assessments will be conducted to determine the program’s impact on crime rates and youth outcomes. If successful, this program may serve as a model for other cities looking to reform their juvenile justice systems.
