Juvenile offenders from Deaf Smith sent to diversion programs all across the state

By Isabeth Castillo, isabetca@ttu.edu

Initiated January 1st, Deaf Smith County’s youth diversion program allows eligible juveniles to bypass citations and courtrooms altogether in favor of counseling, online classes, and community resources.

The program is designed to intervene early in a juvenile's interaction with the justice system. Instead of issuing a citation, patrol officers can directly refer minors to the program to address behavioral issues and prevent long-term consequences. 

Although the Texas Legislature requires every Municipal and Justice Court to initiate a youth diversion plan, Deaf Smith County Judge D.J. Wagner says it also made sense for the community. 

“We’ve had success sending youth to trade-based placements where they learn skills like bricklaying or electrical work,” Wagner said. “We’re not just locking them up, we’re investing in their future.”

 The county sends troubled youth to specialized programs across Texas. One facility along the coast, for example, offers vocational training in trades like masonry and electrical work. 

These programs aim to equip juveniles with real-world skills and a chance at long-term stability. Although the cost can exceed $200 per day per child, Judge Wagner says the investment is worthwhile if it helps change the trajectory of a young person’s life.

“These kids are going to come back to our community,” Wagner said. “We want them to return with purpose, not a record.”

Deaf Smith County Deputy Constable Brady Moberley, who now oversees the program, says his role includes both managing the initiative and guiding juveniles through the process. He adds that patrol officers now have the option to refer minors directly to the program instead of issuing formal citations.

“I was given the role and appointed to the Commissioners Court,” Moberley said. “The biggest ways are overseeing and kind of being the counselor… instead of issuing a citation, officers can just refer them to the program.”

The program also includes partnerships with organizations like the Deaf Smith County Crisis Center and Court Solutions Online, which offer counseling, mental health referrals, and online educational courses tailored to the youth’s offenses.

“The crisis center here is kind of the main place we use for domestic violence,” Moberley said. “They also partner with the Bridge in Amarillo for child abuse and sexual assault cases and then Court Solutions Online is pretty much just an online program with various different classes.”

As of April 29, 13 juveniles have been referred to the diversion program, with four declining to participate. While the program may not reach every youth, officials say it still offers a meaningful opportunity for many to change course.

“I think it gives the juveniles a better opportunity, not to just go straight into the criminal justice system,” Deputy Constable Brady Moberley said. “Some won’t succeed, but for others, it could really change their path.”