Building Safer Communities, One Young Adult at a Time

On December 18, nine individuals walked out of Department 26 in the San Francisco Hall of Justice with big smiles and heads held high. Their families and friends looked on proudly as they celebrated their remarkable achievements—graduating from the Young Adult Court (YAC) program and having their criminal records forever sealed.

“One mistake does not permanently define someone—they deserve another opportunity under clear expectations and boundaries,” said Judge Eric Fleming, who presides over the San Francisco YAC program. “It’s not about judging people. What’s important about being a young adult, is learning from your mistakes so that you can exercise better judgment and grow as a person.”

What Is the YAC Program?
First-of-its-kind in the nation, YAC was established in August 2015 by Judge Bruce Chan to address the unique developmental needs of young adults in the justice system. Young adults with felony and misdemeanor charges may be referred to YAC by the Public Defender’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Adult Probation, or private counsel.

With support from their case managers, YAC participants progress through four structured phases. On average, it takes 12–18 months for the participants to complete the program:

• Phase 1: Engagement and Assessment
• Phase 2: Stability and Accountability
• Phase 3: Wellness and Community Connection
• Phase 4: Program Transition (and graduation day)

To graduate, each participant must complete a Wellness Care Plan and demonstrate their adherence to the program.

One graduate wrote in his Wellness Care Plan: “Jail wasn’t the worst thing. It’s knowing that life is going on and you are frozen in time while everyone is moving on with their lives. That scared me…I just drank my life away until YAC started to teach me what the program was about, which gave me a new light to follow in my life.”

“Young adults have very different needs when it comes to life, challenges, treatment, or no treatment,” said Melanie Kushnir, the director of the Collaborative Justice Programs at the San Francisco Superior Court. “YAC is a way to improve public safety by meeting young people where they are at, and seeing what they need to be successful, including education, safe housing, trauma treatment, and addressing substance use. YAC seeks to find out the right tools to address it.”

Why a Special Court Specifically for Young Adults?
The prefrontal cortex of the brain—responsible for cognitive processing and impulse control—does not fully develop until the age of 25.

During this critical developmental stage, young adults can be vulnerable to making negative decisions, especially for those without supportive family, housing, education, employment, and other critical factors that can help them navigate this tumultuous period.

The traditional justice system does not account for these developmental differences. YAC, however, offers a structured, supportive approach to help young adults address the root causes of their behavior.

What Do the Numbers Say?
From August 2015 to August 2025, more than 400 participants were accepted to YAC, with 197 graduating from the program.

In 2024 alone, 102 justice-involved young adults completed YAC with a 50% graduation rate, and 73% remained arrest-free after graduation.

Young Adult Court Spreading Nationwide
The model of YAC has been adopted in Orange County in California, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and New York. Similar courts are being considered in other states, including Arizona, Minnesota, Tennessee, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Montana, with the guidance and mentorship from the San Francisco Superior Court. As the founder of the program, Judge Chan is championing YAC nationwide, advising legal leaders on its benefits.

“I think our work in the criminal courts is akin to working in the emergency room of a public hospital,” said Judge Chan. “We come face to face every day with the most difficult and intractable social problems—homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, chronic poverty, food insecurity, child abuse and neglect, to name a few. And just like in the ER, the people who come to our courts don’t want to be there in the first place. This central dilemma—how to treat the unwilling—has led us to embrace an approach that we see you, care for you, and listen to you.”

Learn more about the San Francisco Young Adult Court program.