EL PASO COUNTY

JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                    CONTACT:  To Be Filled

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR COMMUNITY DIVERSION PROGRAM

Assistance and support comes from the El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department.

In an effort to find more effective and creative ways of addressing juvenile delinquency,

 the El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department is seeking volunteers to partner with local neighborhoods to become a strong voice in the Juvenile Justice System.  Not all juvenile offenders warrant formal probation, but do require a form of intervention by holding the youth accountable for their behavior in conjunction with a non-adversarial process.  The Juvenile Court Conference Committees provide a community driven diversion program that works directly with at risk youth and their parents.  The mission of the conference committees is to utilize volunteers and victim advocates to guide the family and juvenile to services to assist, educate, and prevent the juvenile from engaging in any further delinquency.

The Juvenile Court Conference Committees are seeking volunteers throughout the community to provide juveniles with an alternative to the formal juvenile justice system by diverting them to their own community for assistance.

• Requirements:  Volunteers must be at least 21 years of age and must be able to pass a criminal background check.

·         To volunteer or for more information, feel free to contact Veronica Lowenberg at (915) 849-2602 or vlowenberg@epcounty.com

Conferences are conducted at various locations throughout the community, once a week in the evening, in         private.  The committee formulates a voluntary contract for up to six months of corrective conduct involving counseling, community service, workshop attendance, tutoring, or research and essay writing. A committee member maintains contact to ensure the juvenile is meeting the requirements of the contract. If the conditions are met, the case is closed and charges are dismissed. If not met and/or the juvenile re-offends, the case can be returned to the court for a formal hearing.