A fourteen-year-old commits armed robbery. In the youth justice system, they might receive counseling, education programs, and community supervision focused on rehabilitation. Transfer them to adult court for the same offense, and they face years in prison alongside adult offenders. A twelve-year-old shoplifts repeatedly and gets diverted to a community program that addresses underlying issues rather than prosecuting. Another youth commits a similar offense but lives in a jurisdiction without diversion, accumulating a criminal record before they finish middle school.