1. Criminal law. A program that refers certain criminal defendants before trial to community programs on job training, education, and the like, which if successfully completed may lead to the dismissal of the charges. — Also termed pretrial diversion; pretrial intervention. Cf. deferred judgment under JUDGMENT. [Cases: Sentencing and Punishment 2051–2054. C.J.S. Criminal Law §§ 425–444, 449–450.]
2. A community-based program or set of services designed to prevent the need for court intervention in matters of child neglect, minor juvenile delinquency, truancy, or incorrigibility. • Sustained by government funding, the program provides services quickly and in a nonadversarial manner so that there is no need for a formal court trial.
