Constructive Working with Young Adults

The “Constructive Working with Young Adults” project is a national study to improve criminal justice working with 18-25 year olds.  This age group makes up a substantial portion of those in the criminal justice system in England and Wales, but support for their journey out of offending has consistently been highlighted as inadequate.  In a collaboration with stakeholders from across the justice sector, this project explores how recent research insights can work in practice with this age group.  In particular, the study draws on the learning from our recent Beyond Youth Custody project and a new framework for ‘Constructive Working’ with young people in trouble. 

The entire project is focused on making a difference to how young adults across the criminal justice system are supported towards positive outcomes.  By informing implementation of ‘constructive working’ in policing, custody and probation sectors, we will enable the support of young adults towards pro-social identity, desistance and social inclusion.  By the end of the project, we will see trailblazing sites working according to the ‘Constructive Working’ framework, and guidance for how this approach could be facilitated more widely. 

The project also aims to improve how agencies address the needs of diverse groups, particularly recognising the importance of ethnic and gender identity, helping agencies tackle disproportionality and vulnerabilities in young adults. 

The proposed project runs for two years, from spring 2021 to spring 2023.