The University of California–Irvine (UCI) last week received 10 million from the Orange County Health Care Agency to study the long-term impact of the Young Adult Court in the county—a program to help young adults charged with a felony reduce their sentence and lead a productive life going forward.
The grant will fund a research project—led by Elizabeth Cauffman, professor of Psychological Science at UCI—aimed at understanding the effectiveness of the program in helping the participants lead a better life by reducing recidivism, substance abuse, and mental health issues, among other problems, school officials announced July 26.
The Young Adult Court, launched in 2018, is a collaborative court for county male residents between 18 and 25 years old who have committed felonies for the first time. According to UCI, the goal of the court is to address and prevent future criminal behavior by connecting them with mental health services and opportunities for housing, education, and job….