Data & Research
YDD’s Quarterly Data Dashboards:
Each quarter, the Youth Diversion and Development program publishes data dashboards to update our partners and communities on the process and impact of these programs on young people who participate. From the beginning, YDD has committed to equity-centered evaluation and transparent data ethics and is always working to improve our approach to advancing racial equity and youth development through youth diversion.
YDD’s Youth Fellowship Research:
In 2021, YDD Youth Fellow Alexia Cina worked with YDD’s Research & Policy team to develop these data-informed Recommendations for Breaking Barriers to Enrollment with a focus on young women of color as part of her Fellowship.
Other Research
How to Guide: Designing Youth Diversion & Development in Los Angeles County
More than a decade ago, a coalition of youth leaders and their advocates banded together to create a plan to systematically steer youth in Los Angeles County away from the criminal legal system and into community-based services. Along the way, youth leaders and other stakeholders chronicled the steps behind building the Youth Diversion and Development initiative, which has become a national model for juvenile justice. With support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, they created this guide as a roadmap to inform and empower other youth and their allies who are interested in developing a similar approach in their communities.
Youth Diversion & Development Provider Toolkit: Supporting Youth People in Group Home Settings
The Vera Institute of Justice partnered with YDD to explore gaps in capacity for young people in child welfare placements. Following extensive conversations with YDD and YDD providers, this toolkit was developed to offer YDD providers best practice tips and recommendations on how to best support young people living in group homes while receiving diversion services. The goal is to support YDD providers in your efforts to prevent deeper system involvement from happening. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please feel free to reach out to Hannah Green at the Vera Institute of Justice, hgreen@vera.org.
Advancing Racial Equity in Youth Diversion: An Evaluation Framework Informed by Los Angeles County
Human Impact Partners collaborated with the YDD program and community leaders in Los Angeles County to develop an evaluation framework focused on advancing racial equity in youth diversion. This evaluation tool is an important resource for our program and for any effort seeking to equitably reduce justice system involvement and improve wellbeing for young people. Ensuring racial equity requires measuring the outcomes of Black and Brown youth at key touchpoints. This framework presents metrics for assessing racial equity as well as promising practices for ensuring racial equity at each touchpoint.