The Washington County Juvenile Court currently operates several diversion programs for both Delinquency and Family In Need of Services cases, including:

• Teen Court
• Washington County Outdoor Adventure Club
• Youth Reporting Center
• 885 Venturing Crew
• 885 Venturing Crew Summer Program
• Girls Circle
• Electronic Monitoring Service 
• Online Diversion Programs

Teen Court is a program coordinated by Scott Gage in which some juveniles charged with certain minor crimes are tried and convicted by their peers, instead of appearing in Juvenile Court in front of Judge Egan.  Teen Court only takes diverted delinquency cases referred by Juvenile Court Officers.  In Teen Court, the "attorneys" as well as the "jury" are all juveniles. The sentences handed down are binding, and participants are required to carry out any and all sentencing recommendations. Law students, lawyers and other key individuals are often invited to serve as "judges" in Teen Court trials.

The Washington County Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) is a collaboration with  the Game and Fish Commission.  The Outdoor Adventure Club is designed to use fishing and outdoor recreation as positive alternatives to juveniles, while also facilitating family bonding. The Washington County Outdoor Adventure Club holds meetings and events once a month, in which court-involved juveniles and their families are exposed to new activities that involve the outdoors, including fishing, hiking and cave exploration, canoeing and kayaking, and many others.  The Outdoor Adventure Club is led by Coach Jeff Courtway, the physical education teacher at JDC and Diversion Program Coordinator Eleazar Herrera. 

Youth Reporting Center, 610B East Emma Ave., Springdale, AR, serves as an alternative to Juvenile Detention for moderate to high risk court-involved juveniles.  Juvenile Court Officers provide supervision, structure, and positive activities at the YRC in the evenings during the school year, and during the day over the summer break.  The YRC works with community agencies to provide the youth with recreational activities and other services, including counseling, tutoring, life skills classes, and community service. This program won the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award in 2019.

 885 Venturing Crew is a program designed to engage moderate to high risk youth, and gang-affiliated or gang-involved youth in outdoor activities on weekends and during the summer.  The Venturing Crew also provides these youth the opportunity to give back to the community through community service projects.

885 Venturing Crew Summer Youth Program is a summer program partnership between the Springdale Police Department, and Washington County Juvenile Court, designed to help court-involved youth build self-esteem, improve physical fitness, and create positive relationships with law enforcement.  Each Youth Academy consists of ten days of physical training, outdoors activities, classroom lessons, community service, and exciting field trips.  

Girls’ Circle is a weekly program designed to provide a safe and welcoming environment for court-involved teen girls where they can build and strengthen a positive self-image and foster healthy relationships.  Led by two instructors, the program utilized an evidence-based curriculum designed to encourage the development of courage, confidence, and communication skills.

Electronic Monitoring utilizes GPS transmitters as a way to reduce recidivism and provide extra supervision through a more intensive form of House Arrest.  This allows youth to be supervised electronically, in addition to parental supervision and regular contact with their Juvenile Officer. Monitors are also used as an alternative to Detention. 

Online Diversion Programs are utilized by the Juvenile Court for some delinquency cases involving juveniles who have charges related to shoplifting, alcohol, or marijuana use. The alcohol and marijuana classes are offered through 3rd Millennium Classrooms, and the shoplifting class is coordinated through the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention. There is a fee for these classes, consisting of $50 for the alcohol class, $60 for the marijuana class, and $75 for the shoplifting class.  3rd Millennium has also allowed the parents to take the same class as their children, at no additional cost.

For further information on the Washington County Juvenile Court's Diversion Programs, email Diversion Program Coordinator Whitnee Patterson    Whitnee.Patterson@washingtoncountyar.gov