EMERGING ADULT JUSTICE PROJECT
Bridging Justice from Childhood to Adulthood
Welcome to the Emerging Adult Justice Project (EAJP) and this online resource for practitioners, policymakers, advocates, researchers, and funders. The EAJP began in 2016 at the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Governance at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and continued at the Columbia University Justice Lab from 2017 to 2024. Today the EAJP continues independently with the support and collaboration of partners. This website is updated to provide easy access to research articles, news stories, and policy and practice innovations on this cutting-edge issue. We hope this resource can facilitate both more research as well as policy and practice innovations to inform and drive much-needed reforms.
EAJP is pleased to work with jurisdictions throughout the U.S. employing our Developmental Framework as a research-based foundation for creating more fair and effective systems of emerging adult justice.
What is Emerging Adult Justice?
Research and Policy Development
The Emerging Adult Justice Project conducts action-research projects and publishes reports to thoughtfully guide, shape, and develop policies, laws, and practices that provide for developmentally appropriate justice implementation. The EAJ’s research and policy projects aim to elevate the ripening policy conversation regarding young adult justice reform to render it a viable option for policymakers, administrators, and advocates.
Reforms in Emerging Adult Justice
A number of states in the United States have been improving emerging adult justice through reforms such as raise the age, expungement, specialized courts, specialized probation and parole, specialized correction units, hybrid laws and other specialized provisions. The Emerging Adult Justice Project supports those methods through thorough research and policy development.
Emerging Adult Justice Learning Community
The Emerging Adult Justice Learning Community (EAJLC) was a carefully organized collaborative learning environment that brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates twice a year over a three-year period in order to create more developmentally appropriate, effective and fairer criminal justice responses for youths ages 18 to 25.