A New Approach to Young Adult Justice

Young adults ages 24 and under pose a unique challenge to the justice system. Research suggests that the areas of the brain that regulate impulse control and reasoning don’t fully develop until people reach their mid-twenties.

Photo taken at the opening ceremony of the Brooklyn Young Adult Court.

As a result, young adults are more likely to engage in risky behavior or react inappropriately to difficult situations. At the same time, they are especially malleable and may be more receptive to therapeutic interventions from older adults.

In an effort to rethink the conventional approach to justice-involved young adults, the Center for Court Innovation has piloted several new initiatives. These include:

partnerships with the District Attorney's Offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan to provide age-appropriate alternatives for young people that help them avoid both jail and a criminal record.

an effort, underwritten by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, to create a short-term evidence-based social service intervention to help participants identify the roots of their justice-system involvement and learn specific skills to avoid criminal behavior.

a variety of programs in Brownsville, Brooklyn that offer meaningful off-ramps for young people who come into contact with the justice system, including job placements, arts programming, and peer leadership opportunities.

a diversion program, Project Reset, launched with the help of the New York Police Department, the Manhattan DA's Office, and the Brooklyn DA's Office, that provides a proportionate response to low-level crime, holding young people accountable for their actions and connecting them with needed social services while avoiding the potential harms associated with standard case processing.

In these and other ways, we are trying to change the interaction between young people and the justice system for the better.