Diversion
Diversion programming is crucial for the health and future of youth. It offers an alternative to formal justice system involvement, helping young people avoid the negative consequences of criminal records. By addressing underlying issues—such as mental health challenges, substance use, or family conflicts—diversion programs provide targeted support and resources that promote rehabilitation rather than punishment.
These programs reduce recidivism by teaching life skills, fostering positive behaviors, and offering mentorship, helping youth build better decision-making abilities. Ultimately, diversion programming helps young people stay on a path toward education, employment, and personal growth, leading to healthier, more successful futures while reducing the long-term societal costs of incarceration.
While diversion overlaps with prevention programming in preventing future harm, the distinction is early intervention when conflict occurs. By utilizing early intervention and providing support and restoration rather than punishment, youth are given new opportunities to succeed in their future endeavors and build better decision-making, coping, and life skills.
Youth Diversion Team
Naugatuck’s youth diversion team is a community-based program that is aimed to help youth who are arrested or commit an offense that result in potential court involvement. This program provides youth the opportunity to reflect upon their incident/reason for referral and offer restitution while receiving case management support from NYS. There are occasions where youth can be referred to this program for non incidental reasons. In these occasions, the diversion team will accept a referral from courts, police, community providers, or parents if any youth needs extra support in areas academically, socially, or emotionally.
Once a youth is referred, the steps to the program include initial intake, assessment, and circle meeting. All of these steps help case managers understand the youth need and risk level.
If you would like to be a volunteer for our panel of members, please contact diversion@naugatuckyouthservices.org
For more information, or questions about the referral process please contact 203-720-5673 or email diversion@naugatuckyouthservices.org
Restorative Alternative Discipline (RAD)
Restorative Alternative to Discipline (RAD) is an suspension reduction program aimed at preventing recurring suspensions in students from City Hill Middle School (CHMS) and Naugatuck High School (NHS) in Naugatuck, Connecticut. The program is built with a restorative frame, aimed to educate students on their offense, provide a safe space for learning, and give back to their community.
The RAD program serves students who receive 10+ day suspensions and occasionally as low as 5 day suspensions who get suspended for conflict or substance-related issues. The program runs over the course of 3 days, with the first two being at the central location of NYS and the last day being held at the school to engage school staff in the restorative circle.
The first day entails a 2-hour educational program that is tailored specifically to the offense related to their suspension. The second day is community service where the student can choose the community service they complete. If they do not specify a chosen organization, they can do in-house community service which consists of office work and assisting NYS program staff.
The third day involves a restorative circle, which is a talking session between the student, parent, NYS staff, a Naugatuck Public Schools staff member, and a trusted adult where they talk about the offense and what they learned from RAD. The restorative circle is designed to happen on the last day of the suspension and/or before the student re-enters their school community.
The RAD program only accepts referrals directly from City Hill Middle School and Naugatuck High School administration. For more information or to connect as a community service partner, please reach out to joe@naugatuckyouthservices.org