Maturity, young adults and criminal justice: A literature review

Maturity, young adults and criminal justice: A literature review (March 2011)

Commissioned by the Barrow Cadbury Trust for the Transition to Adulthood Alliance, this report presents findings from a review of research and other literature relating to the issue of the maturity of young adult offenders, its measurement and its relevance to the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

The focus of the review is on young adults, that is, people aged 18-24 years. In the criminal justice system of England and Wales.
The review has identified distinct bodies of research literature concerned with maturity and crime, separated by disciplinary boundaries, involving different theoretical models and analytical concepts, and distinctive methodological approaches. In particular we have identified three major
bodies of literature that we consider relevant to the review topic:
neurological,
psychological and
criminological.

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