Using New South Wales as a case example, this book engages with central themes of discretionary decision-making processes regarding youth diversion away from court and the broader political and policy constraints that impact implementation to full potential.

Drawing on mixed quantitative and qualitative data, including interviews with experienced police officers, magistrates, and youth justice personnel, this study examines discretionary decision-making processes under the Young Offenders Act 1997 (NSW). While focusing on the Australian experience, the shared colonization history with other Commonwealth countries such as New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom allow for the insights to be globally applicable. Readers will gain insights into implementing diversionary justice, understand theoretical frameworks shaping contemporary youth justice, and access evidence-based analysis for improving outcomes internationally.

Youth Diversion will be a valuable resource for students, scholars and practitioners of criminology, legal studies, sociology and social policy.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.