One hundred and forty-nine students were arrested in Richmond Public Schools during the 2014-15 school year, according to Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham.

Of those, 59 were arrested for disorderly conduct, offenses that included not sitting down in class or using profanity toward a teacher, he said.

The majority of those students were African-American and some faced prosecution and possible time behind bars — a practice known as the school-to-prison pipeline.

Now, instead of sending those students and others committing offenses such as larceny, minor vandalism and simple assault straight into the juvenile justice system, the Richmond Police Department is partnering with Richmond Public Schools and other agencies to launch a diversionary program called LIFE. The acronym stands for Law Enforcement Intervention Focusing on Education.

The pilot program is scheduled to begin after the winter holiday, Chief Durham said. It would offer some troubled students who might otherwise become entangled in the criminal justice system the LIFE alternative.

“We’re flipping the script, if you will, in how we’re going to deal with our youths,” Chief Durham told School Board members at a recent meeting. “What we want to do is divert before we place charges,” he added.

He said officials are working on completing funding for the program.

Students would be referred to the program by school administrators, school security, school resource officers and parents. They would attend a 90-minute class once a week for nine weeks.

In those classes, they would be taught life skills, including conflict resolution, drug and alcohol awareness, respect for others and about the dangers and consequences of being in a gang.

Initially, a total of 40 students would participate in the program, with 20 attending classes at locations north and south of the James River at yet-to-be-determined sites.

Transportation would be provided for students to attend the classes.

If students refuse to participate in the program or fail to complete it, then they could still be charged for the original offense.

Parents also would be expected to attend three of the sessions.

“Parental and family involvement is a key element” to the success of the program, Chief Durham said.

A graduation ceremony would be held for those who complete the program.

Students who do well in the classes and demonstrate improved behavior would be rewarded with gift cards for food, movies, stores and malls, Chief Durham said.

He called the program “unprecedented,” adding, “I know this is doable.”

He said he and other police officers met with RPS officials to lay the groundwork for the program after the Center for Public Integrity released a report last spring that found that more students, including a disparate number of African-Americans, are referred to the police and court systems in Virginia than any other state.

The Washington-based nonprofit group found that 15.8 of every 1,000 Virginia students were sent to some part of the criminal justice system during the 2011-12 school year.

Chief Durham and Richmond Schools Superintendent Dana T. Bedden said the long-term success of the program is contingent on administrators obtaining funding through new and existing grants and revenue sources.

“We’ll all have to scratch and pull pennies from different pots of money,” Dr. Bedden said.

“Right now, it’s all hands on deck pitching in to get this going,” he added.