Population: Young Adults

Young People Who Have Been in the Justice System

MDRC studies programs and policies that seek to improve opportunities for young people and to reform the juvenile and criminal legal systems.

The Latest

Report

How Roca Works with Young Men Most at Risk of Violence in Baltimore

Roca Baltimore works with young men who have been involved in the justice system and who are at high risk of violence. This report draws on interviews with participants to present a picture of the men Roca Baltimore serves and the ways it works with them.

Overview »

Brief

Effectiveness of Pretrial Special Conditions

Many jurisdictions use electronic monitoring (the use of electronic devices to monitor people’s locations) and sobriety monitoring (drug and alcohol testing) as alternatives to pretrial detention. Drawing on nonexperimental analyses, this brief reports that neither form of monitoring improves court appearance rates or the avoidance of new arrests.

Overview »

Key Documents

Issue Focus

A Research-Practice Partnership to Strengthen a Program for Girls at Risk of Justice System Involvement

A Case Study of PACE Center for Girls

MDRC worked closely with PACE in evaluating its program for girls. As an organization dedicated to continuous improvement, PACE used the implementation research findings to refine its services in several ways. This issue focus summarizes the study and the partnership and explains how the program applied some of the lessons.

Striving for Independence

Two-Year Impact Findings from the Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation

This study tested a program that offers individualized services to young people who are making the transition from foster care or juvenile justice custody to independent living. The program had modest, positive effects on earnings, housing stability, and economic well-being and improved some health and safety outcomes.

Learning from Experience

A Guide to Social Impact Bond Investing

MDRC President Gordon Berlin draws lessons from MDRC’s implementation of the first social impact bond (SIB) project in the United States, providing valuable insights into the inner workings of SIB deals and explaining the challenges and the potential of this impact investing model.

New Jersey Criminal Justice Reform Advancing Racial Equity (NJ CARE) Study Focus Area: Pretrial Justice Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Locations: New Jersey	Roca Baltimore Study Focus Area: Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Young Adults Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Employment Services Locations: Maryland	Pretrial Justice Collaborative Focus Area: Pretrial Justice Corrections and Reentry Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Young Adults
MDRC Center for Criminal Justice Research Focus Area: Pretrial Justice Corrections and Reentry Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Young Adults	STRIVE Future Leaders Implementation Study Focus Area: Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Youth Employment Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Young Adults Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Mentoring, Case Management, Career & Technical Education, Behavioral Interventions, Counseling/Advising, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania	PACE Center for Girls Focus Area: Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Youth and Juvenile Justice Elementary and Middle School High School Institutional Reform Transition to Postsecondary Population: Young Adults Children and Schools Intervention: Student Services, Classroom Services, Case Management, Counseling/Advising Locations: Florida

Youth-Led Tech Focus Area: After-School/Out-of-School Time Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Sectoral Training, Mentoring, Career & Technical Education, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Illinois	Social Impact Bond Project at Rikers Island Focus Area: Youth and Juvenile Justice Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Corrections and Reentry Population: Young Adults Intervention: Residential Youth Programs, Classroom Services, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Locations: New York	Youth Villages Transitional Living Program Evaluation Focus Area: Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Young Adults Intervention: Case Management Locations: Tennessee
Ohio's Learning, Earning, and Parenting Program Focus Area: High School Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Financial Incentives Two-Generation Programs Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Youth and Juvenile Justice Population: Young Adults Intervention: Case Management, Financial Incentives, GED Completion Locations: Ohio

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Young People Who Have Been in the Justice System

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