Developmental Justice: A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Experiences and Perceptions of Emerging Adults in Specialty Courts

Emerging adulthood is a critical stage of lifespan development. Young people with behavioral health challenges are exposed to increased levels of criminal legal system interaction and often experience higher recidivism. Prior research showed that programming designed to meet the unique developmental factors of emerging adults could mitigate antisocial behaviors and effectively lower recidivism rates with evidence-based interventions. However, most published scholarship on specialty courts focuses on juveniles or adults, seen as two distinct categories and viewed through remarkedly different theories across legal settings. With a paucity of information regarding emerging adults in the criminal legal system, exploring the experiences and perceptions of emerging adults in specialty courts was necessary. This qualitative study conducted in-depth interviews to highlight institutional barriers, personal challenges, and perseverance of young people in specialty courts who faced significant legal charges. Semi-structured interviews were designed around three prevalent justice frameworks: social control theory, procedural justice theory, and life-course theory. An iterative data analysis using multiple rounds of qualitative coding showed patterns of these theories complementing and contradicting one another, demonstrating that no particular theory should serve as a mechanism for emerging adult specialty court participants. Findings also illustrate that further assessment of the impacts of specialty court approaches on this age group could help program administrators identify their distinct needs and shape more favorable court outcomes.