A California Court for Young Adults Calls on Science – The New York Times

California has created a Youth Court which allows young adults to avoid jail time or felony convictions. Youth Court requires its participants to attend court weekly to check in with a judge, and in return, the court will coordinate employment, housing, and educational support. The court was created based on research in the area of neuroscience which says that the adolescent brain is continually rewiring itself, making new connections and pruning unnecessary neurons as it matures. Studies have shown that adolescents do not realize the implications of their actions because youth under 18 have not fully developed their psychological maturity. Read more.