Back on Track: Making Community-Based Diversion Work for Children in Conflict with the Law, A Documentation of FREELAVA's Experience in Cebu City, Philippines, 2005
Free Rehabilitation, Economic, Education, Legal Assistance Volunteers Association (FREELAVA, Inc.); Save the Children UK -Philippines Programme
E-mail: freelava@mozcom.com, scukphilrowena@mydestiny.net

This documentation research presents the experience of FREELAVA in implementing the community-based diversion project for children in conflict with the law by documenting the processes and dynamics involved (diversion, reintegration and prevention from re-offending). It develops a set of guidelines for possible expansion and replication of community diversion for children in conflict with the law to other communities. Various methods like focus group discussions, case studies, key informant interviews and document review and analysis were employed. Three sets of respondents were targeted in the documentation work: (1) programme actors at the community level particularly the Children's Justice Committees, Community Volunteers and Peer Educators; (2) programme staff at the implementing NGO level; and (3) other key stakeholders from local government units and government agencies. Five sample barangays (42% of the total 12 pilot barangays) were chosen based on the following criteria: volume of cases under community-based diversion, phase of program implementation, and typical offenses committed by children in conflict with the law vis-a-vis the socio-economic and cultural significance of the barangay. Findings conclude that community-based diversion helps in the reduction of children in conflict with the law (CICL) cases. Further improvement is deemed necessary in the practice of community-based diversion.