Improving Outcomes for Young Adults in the Justice System Challenges and Opportunities

Why Young Adults Need a Distinct Approach Growing Momentum Across the Country Justice Center’s Work and Next Steps Overview

There is Good Reason for Juvenile and Criminal Justice Leaders to Focus on Young Adults Young adults accounted for nearly 30 percent of arrests in 2013, disproportionately for serious offenses Young adults accounted for approximately 20 percent of incarcerated juveniles Young adults accounted for more than 21 percent of prison admissions in 2012, disproportionately these admissions are young men of color 78 percent of people under age 25 when released from prison were rearrested within 3 years

Young Adults are Developmentally Different From Youth and Older Adults

Less access to education, particularly post- secondary Low Levels of Education Attainment Fewer vocational skills and less job experience Employment Challenges Certain mental health conditions emerge Substance use peaks Acute Behavioral Health Needs Independent living and life skills Family relationships and caring adults Transitioning to Independence Young Adults Have Distinct Needs

Several Barriers Continue to Exist to Improving Outcomes for Young Adults Evidence-based programs are not well-tested for young adults Young adults age out of key service systems, and those systems are not well aligned Disproportionately impacted by collateral consequences related to education, employment, and housing Systems are not sufficiently tracking outcomes for this population

Why Young Adults Need a Distinct Approach Justice Center’s Work and Next Steps Growing Momentum Across the County Overview

Federal Agencies are Recognizing the Need to Focus on Young Adults A Panel to Discuss Developmentally Appropriate Responses to Justice-Involved Young Adults

States are Also Implementing Policies and Practices to Support Young Adults Such as Youthful Offender Laws “Youthful Offender” laws to treat young adults more like juveniles. Provisions may include: Alternative sentencing options Increased access to support services (e.g., education, employment, behavioral health, etc.) Dual supervision by juvenile and adult systems Opportunity to avoid criminal conviction FL MI VT MA

And Raising the Age of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction Incrementally increase the age of jurisdiction to age 20 Special provisions for 21 – 24 year olds Connecticut Governor Malloy announced a proposal to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction

Other Reforms Include Specialized Probation Caseloads for Young Adults year olds Specialized probation supervisors and officers Training in cultural competency, CBT, and working with young adults Individualized treatment and rehabilitation plans based on risk, needs, and emotional development 73% successful completion rate San Francisco: Transitional Age Youth Probation Unit

Tailored Reentry Planning and Supports Multnomah County, OR: Community Partners Reinvestment Project Young men Focus on behavior change, reducing criminal thinking Provide support services (education, employment, housing, parenting, etc.) Strong mentoring support Massachusetts: Assent of Ward Program Voluntary for young adults aging out of system (18) Youth have access to individualized services (e.g., education, career readiness training, housing, and behavioral health services) Receive continued caseworker support MI

Specialized Programs to Address Young Adults’ Needs MI

Justice Center’s Work and Next Steps Why Young Adults Need a Distinct Approach Growing Momentum Across the Country Overview

Issue Brief Provides Recommendations to Support Young Adults Highlights how young adults are distinct Identifies young adults’ distinct needs and summarizes available research on what works to address these needs Provides recommendations for steps states can take to improve outcomes for young adults

Recommendation #1: Tailor Supervision and Services to Address Young Adults’ Distinct Needs Any strategy to improve outcomes for young adults in the justice system should include the following elements: Targeted cognitive behavioral approaches Career pathways for education and employment Targeted mental health and substance use treatment Family involvement Life skills training

Recommendation #2: Reduce Barriers Across Service Systems Ensure individual service systems provide as much of a safety net as possible Look across systems to ensure consistency in eligibility and alignment in endpoints for care Address laws and policies that result in collateral consequences

Recommendation #3: Improve Data Collection and Reporting Collect and report at least annually: # of young adults in the justice system detailed recidivism data, disaggregated by key variables Connect juvenile and adult criminal justice data systems and improve data sharing among systems that serve young adults

Recommendation #4: Build the Knowledge Base of What Works Support rigorous evaluations of existing programs Develop and test new, innovative models Use findings to direct resources

Potential Next Steps for the Justice Center Gather and distill existing research across multiple fields on effective strategies to improve outcomes for young adults Determine what leading experts agree can be translated from research into practice and what additional research is necessary to address gaps Broadly disseminate this information to advise policymakers and continue to build the knowledge base

Questions for Discussion How the issue of young adults is coming up in each of the Justice Center’s work areas? What opportunities/challenges exist for future work focused on young adults? How can we improve coordination around the issue of young adults across divisions/projects at the Justice Center?