About us

Transition to Adulthood (T2A) is a Barrow Cadbury Trust criminal justice programme and campaign making the case to policy makers, practitioners and sentencers for a distinct approach for young adults (18-25 year olds). T2A Alliance members influence and guide our work.

What does T2A do?

T2A supports research and practice to identify effective approaches for young adults throughout the criminal justice system.  This change programme began formally in 2008, building an evidence base and challenging the thinking of criminal justice policy makers that all young people become adults at 18. T2A believes the reality is  more complex.

Currently T2A is focused on embedding the idea of young adult maturity into the mainstream of criminal justice practice, supporting research in that area and developing good practice guidance.

The evidence we have gathered through T2A research, as well as that from government bodies and academic institutions, shows that between 18 and 25 the brain is still developing. This can present as unpredictable, risk-taking behaviour leading to involvement in the criminal justice system.

T2A doesn’t have all the answers.  Building evidence is an ongoing process. The current work T2A is supporting is an integral part of that process.

How do we work?

The T2A campaign, like all of Barrow Cadbury Trust’s work, is built on collaboration and partnership.  Working with criminal justice professionals, the voluntary and community sector, policy-makers and young adults themselves, T2A is building up a body of evidence and good practice guidance. Much of this evidence is based on our pathway framework which explains the different stages of the criminal justice process where intervention could make a difference.

Milestones on our journey