Stoneleigh Fellow Sangeeta Prasad, in collaboration with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Emerging Adult Initiative, developed a guide for prosecutors to support informed decision-making for Emerging Adults.
In order to increase public safety and combat economic inequality, systemic racism and mass incarceration, the criminal system must look at Emerging Adults (ages 18-25) differently than older adults. Taking an age-appropriate approach during the prosecutorial process has been shown to increase successful outcomes during this critical stage of brain development. Such an approach requires fully-informed consideration of the consequences Emerging Adults face after they come into contact with the criminal system. This guide was created to provide information about the legal and societal consequences of criminal justice system involvement and support prosecutors in making holistic decisions about the Emerging Adults within it.
