This is a peer-led court setting where juvenile offenders are tried, defended, judged, and either convicted or exonerated by a court of their peers. This program allows juveniles with minor offenses to avoid entering the juvenile justice system.

For more information, please visit our Youth Court Page. 

The Cass County Diversion program is designed to help struggling juveniles. Our Diversion program is low-impact and provides education on making better decisions. We offer online and in-person classes to help juveniles navigate illegal or inappropriate behaviors.

What to expect

Either by referral from law enforcement or a parent, the juvenile and a parent or guardian will meet with a Deputy Juvenile Officer to better understand the juvenile's needs. Classes and other resources will be provided. We give you the resources and tools for the juvenile to implement.

The Informal Agreement is designed to assist juveniles and parents with behaviors that cannot be corrected with one visit to the office. Still offering online and in-person classes, the Informal Agreement provides more structured meetings and supervision.

What to expect

Either by referral from law enforcement or a parent, the juvenile and a parent or guardian will meet with a Deputy Juvenile Officer to better understand the juvenile and the family's needs. An Informal Agreement will be offered; the agreement normally lasts around six months, during which the juvenile and a trusted adult will meet with the Juvenile Officer in-person and monitor progress of classes and other services offered.

These services are designed to provide additional supervision by the Cass County Juvenile Judge and the Deputy Juvenile Officer. 

Used for the most serious offenses, a juvenile is brought before the Juvenile Court Judge on a petition. The juvenile is assigned an attorney who will give legal advice and represent them in court. 

The juvenile can be subject to the court's jurisdiction if the allegations are found to be true. Sanctions are then ordered by the judge to assist the family and juvenile. 

A juvenile under Formal Services can be committed to the care of the Division of Youth Services, depending on the juvenile's participation and offense. 

Through Life Skills, we offer a range of topics for at-risk youth in an online setting. These topics include

• Youth Self-Awareness
• Youth/Parent
• Youth Substance Abuse
• Youth Anger Avoidance
• Positive Thinking Skills
• Media Awareness
• Truancy Prevention
• Vaping Awareness
• Elevation: Cognitive Employment for Teenagers
• Substance Abuse Prevention
• Bullying Prevention 
• Leadership
• Distracted Driver
• Sexual Awareness
• Marijuana Prevention 
• Marijuana Awareness
• Youth Theft/Shoplifiting 
• Youth Driver Responsibility
• Youth Minor in Possession 
• Financial Intelligence
• Cyberbullying
• Thoughts = Consequences
• Conflict Resolution
• Decision Making

The Young Men's Group classes cover a variety of topics over six separate sessions that include Safety, Self-Esteem, Emotions, Body Image, Relationships & Sex, and Communication.

The Young Women's Group classes cover a variety of topics over six separate sessions that include Safety, Self-Esteem, Emotions, Communication, Drama & Relationships, and Romantic Relationships.

The Ready, Set, Baby program uses advanced NASCO infant simulators to give young people realistic, hands-on experience with the daily responsibilities of caring for a newborn. 

This 72-hour simulator will consist of realistic infant care. The participant will have to balance school, work and a newborn baby. The participant will be responsible for the actions they did or did not take during the course of the simulation. The equipment tracks and measures how the infant is treated, and a report will be generated at the end of the trial. 

With our new online classes, we do not offer in-person classes for most supervision. In-person classes can be offered when an online class is not possible for the juvenile or the family. The in-person classes include:

• Anger Management/Conflict Resolution
• Decision Making
• Drug and Alcohol Intervention
• Law-Related Education