Building a Brighter Future: A Plan to Invest in DC’s Emerging Adults presents a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities facing emerging adults and highlights the positive impacts of investing in young people for individuals and communities. This action plan, using Washington, DC as a case study, outlines a strategic framework for supporting emerging adults (18-to-24-years old) that holds the promise of empowering young adults, strengthening communities, and improving public safety.
Highlighting the critical importance of implementing a robust community-based continuum of care, the report calls for six key actions:
- Establish an Office of Emerging Adult Services.
- Invest in Credible Messengers and Violence Interrupters.
- Provide safe and stable housing.
- Develop education and workforce pathways.
- Expand diversion and restorative justice options.
- Invest in families, communities, and health.
Drawing on local data and the lived experience of emerging adults, the report sheds light on the inefficiency of punitive measures in addressing root causes of crime. Instead, it advocates for proactive, rehabilitative approaches that align with the District’s goals of equity, rehabilitation, and safety.
Click on the cover to access the full report, or one of the individualized chapters!
