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Featured Grant OpportunityStanding Announcement for Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grants (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityProviding Research Education Experiences to Enhance Inclusivity for a Diverse Substance Use and...

Featured Grant OpportunityFY 2024 Research on School-Based Hate Crimes (Funding Opportunity)

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Featured Grant OpportunityNational Juvenile Court Data Archive (Funding Opportunity)

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Featured Grant OpportunityCommunity Programs for Outreach and Intervention with Youth and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk...

Featured Grant OpportunityPrint and Disseminate Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials (Funding Opportunity)

# Programs and Strategies for Justice–Involved Young Adults

***The following is cross-posted from a dear colleague letter from Karol Mason, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, seeking help to better understand the range of responses and strategies addressing the needs of justice-involved young adults. Download the original letter here (PDF, 1 page).***

Dear Colleague:

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), through its research component, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), seeks to better understand the range of responses and strategies that address the needs of justice–involved young adults. Young adults aged 18–24 account for a disproportionately high percentage of arrests and prison admissions. About half of them return to prison within three years following release. Recent research confirms that the region of the human brain that regulates impulse control and reasoning continues to develop well into a person’s 20s. Other psychosocial capacities develop even later. Because of these factors, young adults are more likely to engage in risk–seeking behavior, have difficulty moderating their responses in emotionally charged situations, or lack a fully developed future–oriented method of decision–making. However, because of the rapid development that occurs during this period of time, the brain is more malleable to appropriate intervention. Therefore, we see the opportunity to reduce future criminal activity–and consequently the number of future victims– by having a justice system that responds to criminal behavior in a developmentally–appropriate manner and helps young adults rebuild their lives.

NIJ has contracted with an independent consultant to conduct an environmental scan of developmentally–informed practices used with young adults involved in the criminal justice system. This information will help OJP and NIJ establish program and research priorities for this critical population. The consultant will gather details on existing programs and strategies from a variety of stakeholders, including our partners in law enforcement, prosecution, courts, probation, parole, corrections, and related professional organizations.

**If your organization is implementing any programs or strategies that address the needs of justice-involved young adults, or if you are aware of successful efforts in place in your community or elsewhere, please send them to YoungAdultCrimJustPrograms@usdoj.gov.** Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

Sincerely,Karol V. MasonAssistant Attorney General

### Announcements

Event: National Conference on Juvenile Justice

Resource: Juvenile Court Statistics 2021

Print and Disseminate Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials (Funding Opportunity)

Graduate Research Fellowship (Funding Opportunity)

National Juvenile Court Data Archive (Funding Opportunity)

### Feature Article

Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

Resources to Support Youth and Families During the COVID-19 Emergency

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

Programs and Strategies for Justice–Involved Young Adults

Correctional Education Guidance Package

### Federal Links

Support for Child Victims and Witnesses of Human Trafficking

Resource: Interactions Between Youth and Law Enforcement

Resource: Updates to Statistical Briefing Book

Resource: Leveraging the Every Student Succeeds Act to Improve Educational Services in Juvenile Justice Facilities

Report: Spotlight on Girls in the Juvenile Justice System