Reimagining Youth Justice Through Sport and Mentorship-Based Diversion

Abstract

Philadelphia youth of color experience disproportionate risk of traumatic experiences which are linked to poor health outcomes in adulthood and significantly contribute to juvenile delinquency. Arrest and formal processing pull youth into a system that increases their exposure to trauma, reduces educational and employment opportunities, and contributes to subsequent offending that can perpetuate a cycle of system involvement into adulthood. Diverting youth from juvenile court to community-based programs promotes positive relationship-building and identity development while holding youth accountable through restorative interventions. Youth diversion can reduce recidivism without overburdening the courts while supporting youth in the development of social, emotional, and ethical competencies. 

Students Run Philly Style (SRPS) transforms lives through mentorship over miles of long-distance running and achievement. MileUp is a diversion program of SRPS in partnership with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (PDAO), designed to keep minoritized youth ages 11-17 out of the criminal justice system. MileUp helps youth build a path out and away from the justice system as they meet program milestones (including earning paid restitution, having charges dropped, and receiving expungement of arrest) with support from mentors, youth advocates, and peer mentors. The program has consistently shown an increase in protective factors (resilience, participation in positive community activities, and a positive outlook toward the future). MileUp’s collaboration with the PDAO and Drexel University’s Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice creates a connection and community for young people in Philadelphia that helps provide positive, healthy habits and relationships they can carry with them throughout their lives.