Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:10 pm
Time: 10:10 pm
Results for desistance from crime
10 results foundAuthor: McNeill, Fergus Title: Changing Lives? Desistance Research and Offender Management Summary: This report provides a literature review on desistance from crime which explores the purposes of offender management; understanding and supporting desistance; desistance and the process of offender management; desistance and compliance with offender management; and, desistance and the credibility of offender management. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research, 2010. 77p. Source: Internet Resource; Report No.03/2010 Year: 2010 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 118820 Keywords: Desistance from CrimeOffender ManagementRecidivismRehabilitation |
Author: Seffrin, Patrick Title: Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Peer and Romantic Relationships, and the Process of Criminal Desistance Summary: The current study examines the role of socioeconomic disadvantage and peer context in shaping romantic relationship experiences, and in turn, the influence of these experiences on crime trajectories. Drawing on four waves of panel data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (N = 1,066) we found that, both low SES and delinquent peers are linked to more liberal approaches to romantic and sexual relationships as well as higher levels of intimate partner violence. Increasing involvement with delinquent peers predicted higher than average trajectories of liberal relationship scripts and intimate partner violence. These relationship dynamics, especially liberal dating scripts, were found to influence crime trajectories even after controlling for changes in relationship stability, employment, and other crime correlates. Research should incorporate broader socioeconomic factors that are likely to influence the character of peer networks and specific problem features of romantic relationships that are associated with variations in criminal involvement. Details: Bowling Green, OH: Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, 2012. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper Series 2012-02: Accessed January 12, 2012 at: http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/cas/file105616.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/cas/file105616.pdf Shelf Number: 123559 Keywords: Desistance from CrimeJuvenile DelinquencyJuvenile OffendersPeer InfluenceSocioeconomics Status (Ohio) |
Author: Sapouna, Maria Title: What Works to Reduce Reoffending: A Summary of the Evidence Summary: This paper has been prepared to support the next stage in the development of the Reducing Reoffending Programme led by the Justice Directorate in the Scottish Government. Its aim is to review the evidence on the effectiveness of different approaches to reduce reoffending or, in other words, promote desistance from crime among young people and adults. The term “desistance” is used extensively in the paper and refers to an extended period of refraining from further offending. However, there is considerable disagreement among researchers about how long an offender must be crime-free before being considered a “desister”, with some researchers claiming that “true desistance” can be determined with certainty only after offenders die. In most evaluations, a two-year follow-up period is used to differentiate desisters from recidivists. The review did not consider studies that assessed the effectiveness of criminal justice interventions in achieving outcomes other than reduced reoffending such as increased public confidence in the criminal justice system and justice to victims. Where available, information on value for money of interventions is provided. The timescales for completing this piece of work were very tight and precluded a comprehensive search of the literature. The review draws heavily upon some key sources of evidence from within Scotland, the rest of the UK and other countries that were easily accessible, mainly systematic reviews of “what works” to reduce reoffending and qualitative studies investigating offenders’ own perceptions of the desistance process and the factors that facilitated or hindered a sustained abstinence from offending. It is hoped, however, that this paper will remain a work in progress that will be updated as additional evidence becomes available. The paper was subject to peer review from analytical and policy officials in the Scottish Government, academics and other experts whose contributions greatly enhanced its quality. This paper also includes a review of ‘what works’ with women offenders. Despite a wealth of studies of male offenders there is a paucity of research which can provide answers to ‘what works’ to reduce reoffending in women. Only three studies in a review by Harper and Chitty (2005) of ‘what works’ with offenders included women, while for their meta-analysis of interventions with female offenders, Dowden and Andrews (1999) were only able to identify 26 studies solely (16) or predominantly (10) involving women. Although there are very few robust outcome studies in the UK that disaggregated by gender, the search of the literature did find a small number of international studies which did measure differences in recidivism. The review also draws evidence from qualitative research which elicits the views of women offenders to gain insights into their perceptions of the offending and desistance pathway. It is important to note that this review does not claim to provide a “gold-standard” solution to the problem of reoffending that can successfully fit all offenders as desistance from offending is a complex, subjective process and what may work for some may not work for others. However, it is hoped that the review will provide some direction to policy makers on the type of interventions that have, overall, proven more effective in reducing reoffending. Details: Edinburgh: Justice Analytical Services Scottish Government, 2011. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 23, 2012 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0038/00385880.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0038/00385880.pdf Shelf Number: 126953 Keywords: Desistance from CrimeRecidivismRehabilitationReoffending (Scotland) |
Author: Schubert, Carol A. Title: Behavioral Health Problems, Treatment, and Outcomes in Serious Youthful Offenders Summary: How and why do many serious adolescent offenders stop offending while others continue to commit crimes? This series of bulletins presents findings from the Pathways to Desistance study, a multidisciplinary investigation that attempts to answer this question. Investigators interviewed 1,354 young offenders from Philadelphia and Phoenix for 7 years after their convictions to learn what factors (e.g., individual maturation, life changes, and involvement with the criminal justice system) lead youth who have committed serious offenses to persist in or desist from offending. As a result of these interviews and a review of official records, researchers have collected the most comprehensive dataset available about serious adolescent offenders and their lives in late adolescence and early adulthood. These data provide an unprecedented look at how young people mature out of offending and what the justice system can do to promote positive changes in the lives of these youth. Details: Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2014. 16p. Source: OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin: Internet Resource: Accessed June 9, 2014 at http://ojjdp.gov/pubs/242440.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://ojjdp.gov/pubs/242440.pdf Shelf Number: 132423 Keywords: Desistance Desistance from CrimeMental Health Services, Juvenile Offenders Serious Juvenile Offenders |
Author: Skardhamar, Torbjorn Title: Family Formation, Fatherhood and Crime: An Invitation to a Broader Perspective on Crime and Family Transitions Summary: Using large-scale individual-level Norwegian administrative register data on the total population of men, we study the offending rates five years prior to and after five different family-related transitions. Leading criminological theories predict that marriage and fatherhood has a preventive effect on crime, with marriage receiving most support by empirical research. The last decades' major changes in family patterns warrant a re-examination of the marriage effect. We argue that marriage, cohabitation, and fatherhood all are important aspects of the family formation process. We find some support for the hypothesis that family formation inhibit criminal behaviors, but our results are less clear-cut than those reported by previous research. Most importantly, the declines in offending in the years prior to experiencing family transitions do not seem to be of a permanent nature. Details: Oslo: Statistics Norway, Research Department, 2009. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper No. 579: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: http://www.ssb.no/a/publikasjoner/pdf/DP/dp579.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Norway URL: http://www.ssb.no/a/publikasjoner/pdf/DP/dp579.pdf Shelf Number: 132603 Keywords: Desistance from CrimeFamiliesFatherhoodMarriage |
Author: Crank, Beverly Title: The Role of Subjective and Social Factors in the Desistance Process: A Within-Individual Examination Summary: Many scholars examining desistance from crime have emphasized the importance of social factors in triggering the desistance process. Most notably, the work of Sampson and Laub (1993) focuses on the role of social bonds (e.g., marriage and employment), which serve as turning points in offenders' lives, while other scholars have emphasized other important social factors, such as antisocial peer influence (Stouthamer-Loeber, Wei, Loeber, Masten, 2004; Warr, 1998, 2002). However, missing from such works is the role of subjective factors (e.g., thinking patterns, expectations, self-identity) in the desistance process, despite evidence that changes in identity and other cognitive transformations promote desistance from criminal offending (Giordano, Cernkovich, & Rudolph, 2002; Maruna, 2001). Examining the combined role of subjective and social factors is important, because it may lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the desistance process. Desistance researchers typically focus on one set of factors, while downplaying the other set of factors. Rarely have researchers examined the effects of social and subjective factors simultaneously (for exceptions, see Healy, 2010; Laub & Sampson, 2003; Morizot & Le Blanc, 2007). And even fewer attempts have been made to examine the interplay between social and subjective factors (for exceptions, see LeBel, Burnett, Maruna, & Bushway, 2008; Simons & Barr, 2012). Further, there is a special need to examine the impact of change in subjective and social factors on the desistance process using withinindividual analyses (Farrington, 2007; Horney, Osgood, & Marshall, 1995; Kazemian, 2007). Thus, research on desistance is advanced in the current study in the following three ways. First, the influence of both subjective and social factors on desistance are considered, within the same statistical model. Second, this study is based on within individual analyses. Third, the interplay between subjective and social factors is explored in this study, including mediation and moderation (interaction) effects. Data used in the current study are drawn from the Pathways to Desistance study (see Mulvey, 2004), following serious adolescent offenders for seven years - from mid-adolescence through early adulthood. The theoretical, policy, and research implications of the findings are discussed Details: Atlanta: Georgia State University, 2014. 180p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 9, 2014 at: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=cj_diss Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=cj_diss Shelf Number: 133903 Keywords: Criminal CareersDesistance from CrimeSocial BondsSocial ConditionsSocioeconomic Conditions and Crime |
Author: Sapouna, Maria Title: What Works to Reduce Reoffending: A Summary of the Evidence Summary: This evidence review was undertaken to support strategic thinking regarding what works to reduce reoffending. The aim of the review was to examine the research into reducing reoffending, the process(es) by which individuals stop offending, and the impact of the criminal justice system in these processes. It does not consider strategies to reduce the risk of crime more generally, such as through early interventions, increasing the costs of offending or reducing opportunities to offend, as these areas are the focus of a separate Scottish Government published review of the literature on what works to reduce crime[1]. The review draws on published journal articles, books and reports from academics, government bodies and independent researchers. It is important to note that the review does not provide an all-inclusive overview of research into what works to reduce reoffending, but rather constitutes a collation of the material which could be identified and accessed within a relatively short space of time. This is the second version of the What Works to Reduce Reoffending review, and it is hoped that this paper will remain a work in progress that will be updated as additional evidence becomes available. Details: Edinburgh: Justice Analytical Services Scottish Government, 2015. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2015 at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00476574.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00476574.pdf Shelf Number: 135654 Keywords: Desistance from CrimeRecidivismRehabilitationReoffending (Scotland) |
Author: Johnston, Tricia Title: "Doomed to Deviance?": Examining the Impact of Perceived Ability to Change on Offending Behavior Summary: Several studies suggest that desistance from crime is influenced by factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, prior offending, delinquent peer associations, self-control, educational attainment, and social bonds (e.g. Blumstein, Farrington, & Moitra, 1985; Elliot, 1994; Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990; Laub and Sampson, 1993; McCord, 1980; Uggen & Kruttschnitt, 1998). In addition, Maruna (2001) alludes to the importance of personal agency suggesting that offender's perceptions about their own ability to change are an essential component of the desistance process. Drawing upon qualitative data, Maruna finds that persisting offenders "feel powerless to change their behavior" (2001:74). Maruna refers to this perceived lack of control over the future as a sense of being "doomed to deviance" and suggests that persistent offenders struggle to desist because they view themselves as victims of circumstance(s) and unable to change. Thus, offenders' perceptions about their own ability to change are said to play a significant role in desistance. Using longitudinal data involving 1,354 serious youthful offenders from the Pathways to Desistance study, the primary purpose of this investigation was to conduct a quantitative test of Maruna's (2001) arguments. The data were used to examine the statistical relationship between future behavior and offenders' perceptions about their ability to desist. In addition, this study examined substance abuse and social support as factors that potentially shape offenders' expectations regarding their own ability to change. Consistent with Maruna's (2001) work, the results indicate that offender's perceptions about their ability to stay out of trouble with the law do impact future offending behavior. The results also show, however, that substance abuse and social support do not exert significant (direct) effects on perceived chances of staying out of trouble with the law, controlling for other variables. Implications for policy and theory are discussed. Details: Atlanta: Georgia State University, 2016. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=cj_theses Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=cj_theses Shelf Number: 145913 Keywords: Anti-Social BehaviorDesistance from CrimeDeviant Behavior |
Author: Hastings, Ross Title: Leaving Criminal Youth Gangs: Exit Strategies and Programs Summary: The objective of this report is to contribute to the development of local approaches to helping youth "exit" from criminal youth gangs. In Ottawa, youth gangs and their criminal activities are the focus of a significant degree of police activity, and seem to be a concern for both the media and the public. Fortunately though, it appears that the level of the problem is not as serious in terms of volume or severity here as it is in a number of other cities. This presents us with an opportunity to address the problem while it is still relatively manageable. The goal is not to design an area-wide program for the Ottawa region. Given the size of the problem locally, this is not a realistic approach either financially or in terms of program design and delivery. Our objective is to identify what has been tried and what has worked from experiences elsewhere, and to explore the possibility that these lessons could be adapted to the design and implementation of local gang exit intervention strategies and protocols. The idea is not to create a new program but to build on the work already being done by local youth-serving agencies. The first section of the report defines key concepts such as youth, criminal youth gangs (CYGs), exiting from gangs and the meaning of "success". We focus primarily on youth between the ages of 16 and 25. CYGs share two attributes: they facilitate and even require crime and violence, and they are collective solutions to shared problems experienced by their members. This suggests that attempts to help youth leave gangs must provide them with options that give some of the same benefits as gang membership. There are many points at which youth can leave gangs, but our focus is on the more seriously involved gang members, especially those who have had contact with the criminal justice system. Finally we discuss the notion of success. Here, we distinguish between "insertion" and desistance from gang or criminal activity, and "integration" which is a more positive approach that focuses on proving the youth with skills, resources and a sense of hope about their chances of succeeding in the legitimate world. The next section reviews some of the key findings from the literature on desistance from crime and, more specifically, on the issue of leaving youth gangs. The basic theme is that desistance and exiting are processes that occur over time and that are influenced by a combination of individual and situational factors. The most important among these appear to be the following: - Aging and maturation seem to contribute to an openness to change. - Youth seem strongly motivated to escape the violence associated with CYGs. - The development of new social bonds and access to new opportunities to engage in conventional activities are critical. - Structural barriers originating outside the gang, such as labelling or the lack of employment, limit the ability to leave the gang. - There is little mention of motives related to law enforcement or of a fear of arrest or incarceration. The basic theme is that membership in CYGs reflects a complex combination of causal factors, and that youth are unlikely to leave a gang unless and until they have supports and incentives that replace those provided by gang membership. The next section surveys existing programs and initiatives (summaries of each of these are provided in Appendix A: Review of Youth Gang Exit Programs). These can be distinguished on the basis of the point of intervention, the causes or risk factors they address or the types of services or resources that are delivered. Most of the programs covered focus on factors at the individual level or relational levels, and relatively less attention is given to community or structural level issues. The major theme in this section is the need for programs to be comprehensive and to address the multiple risk factors associated with membership in CYGs. Unfortunately, there is relatively little available on the long term impact of most interventions. The next two sections attempt to map the services currently available in Ottawa for youth who are trying to leave a gang. Our review of existing databases and our survey of local youth serving organizations confirm that there are many local organizations that provide youth with services that address the risk factors associated with gang membership (see Appendix C: General Resources and Services Currently Available for Youth in Ottawa for an overview). The problem is that these services are not specifically oriented to gang members, and there is no youth specific youth gang exit strategy per say. We argue that we need a more integrated and coordinated approach in this area. We suggest that a case management approach that blends existing services into an integrated exit strategy is the most promising strategy for building on current capacity. This appears to be the most effective and cost-efficient option for improving assessment procedures, designing intervention plans, and delivering services in an integrated and comprehensive manner. In sum, we argue that youth gang membership is a complex problem that requires an equally complex solution, one that is timely, integrated and well targeted. The final section describes our recommendations for moving forward in developing a youth gang exit strategy Details: Ottawa: Institute for the Prevention of Crime, 2011. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: http://www.crimepreventionottawa.ca/uploads/files/initiative/final_report_-_leaving_criminal_youth_gangs_exit_strategies_and_programs.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.crimepreventionottawa.ca/uploads/files/initiative/final_report_-_leaving_criminal_youth_gangs_exit_strategies_and_programs.pdf Shelf Number: 145920 Keywords: Desistance from CrimeGangs Youth Gangs |
Author: Lemanska, Natalia Maria Title: The effect of becoming a parent on disengagement from gangs Summary: The purpose of this study was to shed more light on the process of desistance from crime in the context of disengagement from youth gangs and to do so in relation to a key lifeevent: parenthood. Gang membership was theorised in the light of a life-course framework and gang disengagement was defined as a renunciation of a gang status and gradually decreasing gang embeddedness. The likelihood of parenthood serving as a trigger of change in gang membership was investigated. The study utilised data from narrative interviews with 15 inner-London parents who all self-reported as former gang members. Interview transcripts were further analysed by means of a hybrid process of inductive and deductive thematic analysis. This examined (1) subjective experiences of parenthood, (2) the effect of parenthood on renegotiation of the gang member identity and (3) whether there were any substantial differences between how fathers and mothers embraced their parenthood experience. With regard to the course of behavioural and identity changes, there was no one, single pattern that would have reflected all parents' journeys out of gangs. There were considerable intra- and inter-gender differences with regard to when the transformation process started, how deep the changes were with respect to core-self and to what extent parents were engaging in reflective, meaning-making processes. Parents also demonstrated different levels of resilience in the face of challenges and varied in how much commitment, and pro-activity they were channeling into the future-oriented endeavours. The experience of being a gang member gradually became an aversive one for most parents and they generally appraised the meaning of conventional life. The volatility of new parenthood as a possible turning point in the life of a young gang member denotes it as a timely occasion when assistance could be provided. Based on parents' accounts, several recommendations were proposed that, if implemented on a wider scale, are likely to increase the chance of parents enacting their parental roles successfully. These included: a single case management approach that is long-term, affords flexibility if circumstances change and, due to the multifaceted character of young people's needs, demands effective partnership between different agencies. Though parenthood was not a universal remedy, becoming a parent served as an important catalyst for self-transformation and gang disengagement for the majority of the interviewed young parents. The overall success appeared to be strongly intertwined with one's level of agency, support from pro-social others and perception of availability of a legitimate identity. Details: Manchester, UK: University of Manchester, 2015. 202p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 27, 2018 at: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/54576673/FULL_TEXT.PDF Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/54576673/FULL_TEXT.PDF Shelf Number: 149928 Keywords: Desistance from CrimeGang MembershipGangsYouth Gangs |