The Illinois Judicial Conference has appointed Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser and Kane County Court Services Executive Director Lisa Aust to its new Emerging Adults Task Force. The task force will study and recommend best practices for courts working with justice-involved emerging adults ages 18 to 24.

“As a prosecutor, I see firsthand the challenges faced by emerging adults in the criminal justice system,” said State’s Attorney Mosser. “This age group has unique needs and opportunities for rehabilitation that require tailored approaches. I’m honored to be appointed to the Emerging Adults Task Force and look forward to studying solutions that promote accountability while offering pathways to better futures for young adults in our communities.”

The Illinois Judicial Conference established the Emerging Adults Task Force as part of its 2025 Operational Plan, aligning with the Illinois Supreme Court’s 2022-2025 Strategic Agenda goal of achieving fair, timely, and efficient courts.

The Operational Plan identifies ten initiatives for 2025, each assigned to a Supreme Court committee or Judicial Conference task force, including the Emerging Adults Task Force, which focuses on best practices for this population.

“The science is increasingly clear that young people’s brains are literally wired differently than mature adults,” said Executive Director Aust. “We know that their brains are more resilient, more elastic, and capable of great leaps in learning. Now we know that their brains really don’t fully mature until about age 24 or 25. We’re looking at this as an opportunity to re-imagine how the courts can work with this group to take into account their thinking and potential for change. It's an exciting initiative.”

Emerging adults are overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice system, and many are processed in the adult criminal justice system that does not take into consideration their unique needs.

Building on national research on brain science and emerging best practices, the Emerging Adults Task Force will focus on summarizing the prevalence of this issue and examining current practices in Illinois. It also will explore innovative and effective ways for improving how justice-involved young adults are addressed and ways to achieve more effective outcomes.

The task force will be chaired by Lisa Jacobs, Associate Director of the Legislation and Policy Clinic at Loyola University School of Law, and vice chaired by Kathy Starkovich, Deputy Director of the Department of Probation & Court Services at the 18th Judicial Circuit.

The Emerging Adults Task Force will commence its work immediately and is expected to submit its recommendations by October 2025.

Press release provided by the Office of the Kane County State’s Attorney.

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