Orange County NC Website
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CJRD Programs <br />Misdemeanor Diversion Program (MDP) <br /> <br />Pre-charge diversion program for 16 and 17 year old misdemeanor first offenders in Orange County. <br />2nd program of its kind in N.C. when started in April 2016. <br />Launched with the full support of all judicial stakeholders and all law enforcement agencies, who retain discretion on referrals. <br />Eligible youth are diverted entirely from the criminal justice system and placed on a diversion program for 90 days with 10-15 hours of directed (free) programming and an educational court session assigned. <br />If the youth is compliance with programming, court attendance and does not have any new criminal justice involvement, the original charges are never filed. <br />Goal is to address the inequity of N.C. being the last state in the country to treat 16 and 17 year olds as adults and not juveniles in the criminal justice system and to avoid a criminal charge for a youth that can have life-long collateral consequences. <br />Since Raise the Age legislation was passed this summer and will take effect in December 2019, the hope is to expand MDP to 18-21 year olds. <br />