In a historic move, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a roadmap for diverting thousands of youth from the juvenile and criminal justice systems, and for connecting them to a comprehensive array of supportive services – education, employment, housing, healthcare and more – to help them thrive.

“Giving youth access to supportive services as an alternative to arrest and incarceration is both morally imperative and fiscally responsible,” said Board Chairman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who authored the motion.

“We need to manage our resources smartly, and be more humane and less militaristic in dealing with young people so they can lead better lives and be an asset to their communities,” he said.

“The best juvenile system is one that keeps kids out of it in the first place,” said the motion’s coauthor, Supervisor Janice Hahn. “With the action we are taking today, our county departments are going to better work together to keep children out of court and in school.”

Dr. Robert Ross, president and CEO of The California Endowment, a nonprofit that works extensively with youth in the juvenile justice system, expressed “enthusiastic support” for the motion.

“We know that punishment doesn’t work when it comes to helping young people who are struggling, as health conditions – many rooted in childhood trauma – are often at the root of the behavior that leads them to the justice system in the first place,” Ross said.

The Board voted to accept the recommendations and strategies of A Roadmap for Advancing Youth Diversion in Los Angeles County developed by its Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee. It also called for creating a Youth Diversion and Development division within the Office of Diversion and Reentry.

“Since its creation two years ago, the ODR has successfully diverted more than 1,300 adults from the County’s jails,” noted Judge Peter Espinoza (Ret.), director of the ODR.

“What has been missing from this work has been a dedicated effort to keep young people out of the justice system,” Espinoza said. “By launching this youth diversion and development work at ODR, the county is poised to offer a continuum of supportive services to the entire community and further reduce arrests and incarceration.”

Board Chairman Ridley-Thomas underscored the achievement by adding: “By launching this work, Los Angeles County can and will lead the nation in promoting youth well-being, addressing racial disparities, and embracing cost-effective approaches.”