10 March 2011

Maturity, Young Adults and Criminal Justice: A literature review

Courts and sentencing, Prosecution, Sentencing

Open report

How can a review of the scientific evidence support the proposal that young adults are a distinct group in the criminal justice system? This report examines the current research into maturity and offending, looks at how to support desistance, and refers to what other countries are doing to address recognise the needs of young adults.

Publisher: University of Birmingham
Author: Prior, Farrow, Hughes, Kelly, Manders, and White Wilkinson

April 2026
Joint Enterprise: A view over time

The report looks at two decades of data on joint enterprise, finding a disproportionate impact on young adults and persistent racial disparities.

September 2025
From exploited to exploiter?

This report looks at how to prevent the unjust criminalisation of victims of child criminal exploitation in the transition to adulthood.

Criminal Justice, young adults
Smaller but tougher: How the criminal justice system is processing young adults

This Centre for Crime and Justice Studies report looks at harsher outcomes experienced by young adults in the criminal justice system over time.