On March 19, a special basketball team was set up in the Gymnastic Studio of Panlong District. The players gave
it the name "Sunshine Basketball Team."
The team leader, Mr. Li, is a police officer from Panlong Public Security Bureau. He is also a staff of the project office. And the coach of the team, a national level coach, is the head of Panlong Gymnastic Studio. He works with the children as a volunteer.
The Youth Justice Pilot Project based in Panlong District, Kunming City is a cooperative initiative between the People's Government of Panlong District and Save the Children. The project promotes judicial diversion through inter-departmental cooperation and the establishment of community support system.
According to the introduction by Zhang Yue Ru, the director of the project office, "judicial diversion" refers to the process whereby, when a young offender is to be dealt with by administrative or criminal penalties, alternatives to custody with conditions will be granted wherever possible to divert him or her from the criminal justice system, thus to reduce the amount of young people detained in detention centers and youth jails. Young offenders then stay in communities to receive help and support to reintegrate into society. Till now, 451 young offenders have been diverted in Panlong district.
With the joint efforts of both sides, the project set up the first judicial Diversion Protocol in China, which regulates the practices of the local Public Security Bureau, Prosecutor's Office, the Court and the Judicial Bureau.
