The Orange County Young Adult Court (YAC) and the corresponding research study serve young men in Orange County between 18-25 who have recently been charged with an eligible felony offense.

Developmental science and legal scholars have questioned whether current approaches to criminal justice are appropriate for those aged 18 and 25, as they’re treated as adults despite evidence suggesting the brain continues to mature well into the mid-twenties.

The Orange County Young Adult Court represents a novel evidence-based collaborative court designed to address the misalignment between developmental research and the application of criminal justice policies for transitional-aged youth.