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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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Results for desistance
33 results foundAuthor: Giordano, Peggy C. Title: Parenthood and Crime: The Role of Wantedness, Relationships with Partners, and Socioeconomic Status Summary: Parenthood may play a pivotal role in the criminal desistance process, but few studies have examined the conditions under which becoming a mother or father is most likely to lead to reductions in criminal behavior. The current longitudinal study draws on four waves of adolescent and young adult interview data (N = 1,066) to examine the impact of parenthood on criminal trajectories, as well as the degree to which the prosocial potential of parenthood is modified by socioeconomic factors, the nature of the relationship between the biological parents, and pregnancy wantedness. The influence of gender on these relationships is also examined. Results from HLM longitudinal regression models indicate that highly disadvantaged young men and women do not report lower average levels of criminal behavior after becoming parents, although young men and women from more advantaged backgrounds do report lower average levels of crime after making these transitions. Pregnancies that were described as wanted reduced female involvement in crime regardless of socioeconomic status, while status of the relationship (married or cohabiting and single) was in general not a strong predictor. In-depth qualitative data are used to further elucidate the conditional nature of the parenthood-crime relationship. Details: Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University, The Center for Family and Demographic Research, 2011. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper Series 2011-02: Accessed April 14, 2011 at: http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/cas/file94273.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/cas/file94273.pdf Shelf Number: 121353 Keywords: DesistanceFamilies and CrimeParenting and CrimeParentsSocioeconomic Status |
Author: Disley, Emma Title: Individual Disengagement from Al Qa'ida-Influenced Terrorist Groups. A Rapid Evidence Assessment to Inform Policy and Practice in Preventing Terrorism Summary: This paper looks at why and how individuals stop being violent and whether there are intervention practices to learn from. It also explores transferable knowledge from the literature on street gangs, religious cults, right-wing groups and organised crime groups. Details: London: Home Office, 2011. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: Occasional Paper No. 99: Accessed November 9, 2011 at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorism-statistics/occ99?view=Binary Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorism-statistics/occ99?view=Binary Shelf Number: 123276 Keywords: Counter-TerrorismDesistanceExtremist GroupsGangsOrganized CrimeRadical GroupsTerrorismViolence |
Author: Carpenter, Craig Title: Young People and Desistance from Crime: Perspectives from New Zealand Summary: This thesis examines the process by which young people stop, or „desist‟ from, criminal offending in New Zealand. It does so by presenting insights on desistance gained from observations and interviews with young ex-offenders and those who work closely with them. In doing so, it avoids the exaggerated responses to youth crime expressed in political rhetoric and the popular media, and instead focuses on factors that are deemed most valuable in desistance by those most involved. This primary research is presented in the context of the existing literature that establishes desistance as a process influenced by the interaction of multiple variables including individual, social, and structural factors. Analysis of structural factors highlights the need for young people, especially those who experience economic marginalisation or racial discrimination, to be provided with opportunities to change. While the current New Zealand youth justice system generally does well to limit the negative impact of formal system contact for young people, it is noted that the focus on individual plans and strategies fails to adequately address social relations and structural conditions that are integral to desistance processes. The results of this study show that young desisters have mainstream aspirations for stable employment and relationships. Key factors of desistance identified in this study include the influence of „growing up‟, family support and positive relationships. In other words, desistance from crime was the result of moving towards something positive in life. It is therefore argued that desistance is also more likely to be sustained with ongoing personal and social support. Rather than being passive victims of structural inequalities, or completely rational actors, this study found young desisters to be influenced by a combination of structural, social and individual factors. The ultimate recommendation is to enhance existing policy through wider strategies that address structural issues, such as poverty and unemployment, together with the development of social and cultural capital, so that desistance processes can be further encouraged in New Zealand‟s young offenders. Details: Wellington, NC: Victoria University of Wellington, 2012. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 11, 2012 at: http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/2047/thesis.pdf?sequence=2 Year: 2012 Country: New Zealand URL: http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/2047/thesis.pdf?sequence=2 Shelf Number: 126293 Keywords: DesistanceJuvenile Offenders (New Zealand)RehabilitationYoung Adult Offenders |
Author: Cahill, Joanne Clare Title: Testing Two Theories of Criminal Careers: A Criminal Career Profile Approach Summary: Criminal career research has emerged as a field interested in determining the factors related to the onset, frequency, duration, maintenance, and desistance of criminal behaviour (Blumstein & Cohen, 1987; Blumstein, Cohen, & Farrington, 1988). Various theories have been developed to account for these components of the criminal career, and the present research aims to examine the desistance components of two such theories in a sample of high risk adult offenders. Looking first at Moffitt’s (1993) adolescencelimited/ life-course persistent perspective, and then at Laub and Sampson’s (1993; Sampson & Laub, 2005) theory of informal social controls, there is limited evidence that either frequency of conviction or criminal career seriousness in high risk adult offenders can be explained well by reference to either of these theories alone. Although components of each theory appear to have some support within this sample, it is important to note that the prediction of future seriousness appears to be particularly difficult. Implications of these findings are discussed, with particular reference to policy concerns and areas for additional research. Details: Wellington, NZ: Victoria University of Wellington, 2010. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Master's Thesis: Accessed September 12, 2012 at: http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/1737/thesis.pdf?sequence=2 Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/1737/thesis.pdf?sequence=2 Shelf Number: 126316 Keywords: Criminal CareersDesistanceJuvenile to Adult Criminal Careers |
Author: Schoenberger, Nicole Ann Title: The Effect of Marriage and Employment on Criminal Desistance: The Influence of Race Summary: Life course theorists argue that key transitions such as marriage and employment heavily influence criminal desistance in adulthood among those who committed delinquent acts during their adolescence. Laub and Sampson (1993), authors of the dominant life course theory in criminology, adhere to the general principle of social bonding: if an individual has weak bonds to society, he or she will have an increased chance of committing crime. Consequentially, the prosocial bonds formed in adulthood through marriage and employment will increase the likelihood of criminal desistance. Although much research supports this notion, race has generally been left out of the discourse. Laub and Sampson (1993), in fact, note that their life course theory is race-neutral. For this and other reasons, very few researchers have examined whether and how race plays a role within life course theory. This is surprising insofar as race is an important correlate of crime, marriage, employment, and other life course transitions that are associated with criminal desistance. Because of this potentially serious omission in the research literature, the current study uses data from Waves 1, 2 and 4 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine differences in the effect of marriage and employment on desistance among 3,479 Black, Hispanic, and White men. Results show that classic life theory applies to Whites, but less so to Blacks and Hispanics. For Black men, having a job for five years or longer is the strongest predictor of criminal desistance, while the most salient factor for desistance among Hispanic men is being in a cohabiting union. For White men, being in a high quality marriage and being employed full time are both strong predictors of desistance. This research also examines several factors that are not adequately addressed in the existing literature on life course theory such as the effect of cohabitation, marital timing, and job loss. The data show that cohabiting unions increase the likelihood of adult criminality among Hispanic men. Furthermore, cohabiting prior to marriage and marrying at earlier ages increases the likelihood of adult criminality among married men. In regard to employment, the loss of a job through either being fired or being laid off increases the likelihood of adult criminality for White men, those aged 30 or older, and among higher SES respondents. The results also show that age and social class influence the effect that several life course factors have on desistance. For instance, cohabitation is a significant predictor of adult criminality among lower SES respondents, while a high quality marriage is an important predictor among higher SES respondents. Similarly, the analyses showed that having a job was a strong predictor of desistance among 24-26 year olds, while job loss was most salient among those aged 30 or older. Overall, the results from this study show that the specific mechanisms of desistance are somewhat different for each race, and that they vary by both age and social class. The implication of these findings is that life course theory is not entirely race neutral, and that it must be sensitive to how the influence of life course factors on desistance are conditioned by these important demographic variables. Details: Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University, 2012. 153p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 5, 2013 at: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=bgsu1339560808 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=bgsu1339560808 Shelf Number: 127849 Keywords: AgeDesistanceEmploymentEthnicityLife CourseMarriageOffendersRaceSocial Class |
Author: Young, Michelle Arciaga Title: Getting Out of Gangs, Staying Out of Gangs: Gang intervention Summary: Adults working with gang-involved clients often have questions about the reasons that individuals remain involved in gangs long-term, and how they can assist teenagers and young adults with leaving the gang. This article describes the pivotal life points at which targeted gang interventions may have increased effectiveness, and recommendations for strategies. A considerable amount of gang research over the past 30 years has identified factors leading to gang membership, including specific “pushes” and “pulls” that influence an individual’s decision to join a gang. Individuals may be pushed into gangs because of negative outside factors, barriers, and conditions in their social environment such as poverty, family problems, and lack of success in school. At the same time, they may also be pulled into gangs because the gang offers a perceived benefit (Decker and Van Winkle, 1996) such as safety/protection, love and support, excitement, financial opportunities, and a sense of belonging. Until recently, very few studies have examined the factors that may contribute to an individual’s decision to leave the gang (desistence). Longitudinal studies in cities with emerging gang problems conclude that turnover of membership in gangs is constant, and most gang members report staying in the gang for one year or less (Hill et al., 2001; Peterson et al., 2004; Thornberry et al., 2003; Thornberry et al., 2004). Research with former gang members indicates that marginal and short-term gang members generally are able to leave the gang without serious consequences (Decker and Lauritsen, 2002; Decker and Van Winkle, 1996). However, field studies conducted on a smaller scale in Los Angeles and Chicago in entrenched gang areas (Horowitz, 1983; Moore, 1991) found that gang members remained in gangs for a longer period of time and that the decision to leave a gang is more complicated. The ability and willingness of individuals to leave gangs appears to be related to factors such as the longevity of an individual’s participation in the gang, and how established and severe the level of gang activity is in the community. Even short-term gang involvement can have long-term effects, including increased participation in crime, school problems, decreased employment prospects, exposure/involvement with drug and alcohol use/abuse, and increased risk of victimization. As early as 1927, researcher Frederick Thrasher noted that participation in gangs reduces the gang member’s connections to other mainstream social pursuits: “. . . his conception of his role is more vivid with reference to his gang than to other social groups. Since he lives largely in the present, he conceives of the part that he is playing in life as being in the gang; his status with other groups is unimportant to him, for the gang is his social world.” (1963/1927; p. 231) This process has been referred to as “knifing off” (Moffitt, 1993), as the gang member cuts ties to other important social groups and organizations such as family, friends, schools, and religious community to focus more intensively on gang participation and identity, leading to higher levels of delinquency. Research conducted with 6th- to 9th-grade students in 15 schools with reported gang problems found that “the onset of gang membership was associated with an 82 percent increase in delinquency frequency.” (Melde and Esbensen, 2011, p. 535) As a gang member is pushed/pulled into the gang, the experience of gang membership further separates him from successful participation in mainstream society, worsening the social conditions he experiences, and escalating his involvement in crime. Long-term gang membership is associated with an escalating succession of effects such as dropping out of school, increased risk of teen fatherhood/pregnancy, and lack of employment success (Thornberry, et al., 2003; Thornberry, et al., 2004). The longer an individual is involved in gangs, the more severe the effect becomes, and the greater the distance between the gang member and the mainstream. Details: Tallahassee, FL: National Gang Center, Institute for Intergovernmental Research, 2013. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: National Gang Center Bulletin, No. 8: Accessed July 9, 2013 at: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Getting-Out-Staying-Out.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Getting-Out-Staying-Out.pdf Shelf Number: 129330 Keywords: DesistanceGangs (U.S.)Intervention Programs |
Author: Wilkinson, Katherine Title: The Doncaster Desistance Study Summary: The Hallam Centre for Community Justice conducted two evaluations of the DoVeS Counselling Service at HMP Doncaster, which supports offenders who have had experiences of domestic violence. These reports showed the positive affects of accessing the service on their client's attitudes to their own offending behaviour and demonstrated the challenges of collecting robust data to reflect on service efficiency post release. The Doncaster Violent Crime Theme Group wanted to fund the service, however required evidence that the service affected re-offending rates. Demonstrating effectiveness quantitatively through reconviction/reoffending follow-up studies with a comparable control group with this population would prove complex and expensive. Therefore, this study was developed as an alternative way of examining the affects of DoVeS service engagement post release on desisting from offending. A desistance approach was adopted, given the previous evaluation findings that individual identity shifts featured highly in DoVeS service user narratives. A qualitative narrative approach was therefore adopted as an appropriate method to explore desisting positions and identify the impact of CJS interventions on respondent's adopting non-offending lifestyles. By adopting this approach, this small research project hopes to move beyond evaluating reducing reoffending programmes from a quantitative, positivist stance, to focus on how interventions may work to foster or support desistance. This study therefore identifies the transition and sequencing of desistance from criminal activity of a sample of sentence serving offenders who were in custody at HMP Doncaster in 2006. 20 men who were interviewed twice regarding accessing the DoVeS counselling service were invited to take part in this project. The research team successfully contacted and interviewed five (ex) offenders who had been desisting from offending for up to 3 years. Details: Sheffield, UK: Hallam Centre for Community Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, 2009. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 5, 2013 at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/997/1/fulltext.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/997/1/fulltext.pdf Shelf Number: 129545 Keywords: Counseling ServicesDesistanceDomestic ViolenceRecidivismReoffending |
Author: Bersani, Bianca E. Title: An Examination of the "Marriage Effect" on Desistance from Crime among U.S. Immigrants Summary: Interest in the relationship between immigration and crime has a long history in the United States. Since the late 19th and early 20th centuries much anxiety has been levied at the social ills associated with immigrants, and in particular, the criminal element they may bring with them (see, for example, Immigration Commission 1911). Despite these concerns, research spanning more than a century has revealed that the stereotype of the "criminal immigrant" is a myth (Hagan and Palloni 1999; Rumbaut and Ewing 2007) and that the foreign-born (e.g., first generation immigrants) are involved in significantly less crime than their native-born peers (Lee and Martinez 2009; Sampson and Laub 2005; Zhou and Bankston 2006). At the same time, however, research also demonstrates increasing rates of crime among the children of immigrants, (e.g., the second generation) (Bersani 2012; Morenoff and Astor 2006). As the second generation immigrant population continues to grow attention has shifted to understanding the reasons for the dramatic increase in offending among the children of immigrants as well as the factors that insulate the first generation from crime. Alongside this shift in research attention, a related body of work posits a declining significance of marriage among the second and later generations (Oropesa and Landale 2004). This decline is noteworthy for two reasons: First, research on immigration and crime often identifies the family as an important protective factor among first generation immigrants (Suarez-Orozco and Suarez-Orozco 2001; Zhou 1997), suggesting that "immigrant families may have an advantage because they are more likely to bond together and establish social ties and cooperative kin-based economic and childrearing practices" (MacDonald and Saunders 2012: 132). Second, the benefits of family bonds, and marriage in particular, for fostering desistance from crime have been well established in previous research (Laub and Sampson 2003; Sampson and Laub 1993). Thus, a decline in marriage among later generations holds the power to influence patterns of criminality among the children of immigrants. The aim of this research is to merge separate but related bodies of work by integrating research on immigration, marriage and family, and crime to shed light on the factors that shape patterns of criminal offending among the children of immigrants as they transition to young adulthood. This research addresses three core questions: 1) are second generation immigrants (defined as individuals born in the U.S. with at least one foreign-born parent) entering into marriage at a slower pace than their first generation immigrant (defined as those born outside the U.S. with foreign-born parents) peers?; 2) what role does marriage play in understanding immigrant offending?; and 3) is the relationship between marriage and offending conditioned by immigrant generational status and/or country/region of birth (i.e., nativity)? To situate these findings in the larger body of research, we also examine a sample of native-born youth, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, for comparison purposes. Our findings reveal important similarities and differences between immigrant generations with respect to patterns of marriage and offending. First, counter to expectations of a "retreat" from marriage (i.e., a declining rate), we find that second generation immigrants marry at rates comparable to their White, Hispanic, and first generation immigrant peers. Second, consistent with previous research, we find that marriage is negatively related to crime for both first and second generation immigrants. However, this "marriage effect" is particularly strong the second generation. Details: Unpublished report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2013. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 8, 2013 at: https://ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242326.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242326.pdf Shelf Number: 129583 Keywords: DesistanceImmigrants and Crime (U.S.)Marriage and Crime |
Author: Young, Tara Title: The Role of the Family in Facilitating Gang Membership, Criminality and Exit. A Report prepared for Catch22 Summary: The role of the 'gang' in shaping and encouraging criminality has an ever-increasing profile within the criminal justice system, the third sector and across the political landscape. The growing perceived threat from the gang has occurred against the background of increasingly restrictive legislation and numerous policy documents focusing on what might be responsible for the possible rise in gang membership. One often-cited factor is the role of the family and its influence on gang membership. It is this relationship that the report explores. Research aims The overarching aim of the research was to examine the role of the family in gang formation criminality and exit in order to inform best practice for practitioners working with gang-involved families. Methodology Catch22 commissioned an exploratory piece of qualitative research based on a literature review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups (91 interviews across the study). The interviews were conducted with former and current gang members, families of gang members and practitioners working with gang-involved individuals and their relatives. The sample is broadly drawn from areas with reputations for high gang activity. In order to capture the geographical, ethnic and cultural differences in gang membership the research was conducted across three sites: London, the West Midlands (Wolverhampton and Birmingham) and Scotland (Glasgow). Findings The role of the family in gang formation - People who associate with or are in gangs come from all types of families. Irrespective of family composition, the majority of respondents described families experiencing multiple difficulties (such as economic deprivation, family separation, bereavement, domestic violence, imprisonment, and alcohol and substance misuse) that preceded their involvement with gangs. This supports findings elsewhere that suggest successful family interventions have a range of positive generic outcomes, for example gang desistance to reduction in truancy, and drug and alcohol problems. - In regard to family composition, the evidence of this report suggests that the combination of multiple family difficulties and gang involvement is more likely to occur, and will have more severe consequences, in single-parent, larger than average families. However, it should be borne in mind that gang activity was also found in dual-parent and smaller families. - The role of the family should not be overstated as a key driver of gang formation. It occasionally plays a role in driving young people into gangs but the wider socio-economic context is often as, if not more, important. The family and the influence of the gang - The gang's influence on the family should not be overstated. Gang involvement by one family member is not likely to infringe on the wider family's personal safety or mean all family members will join a gang. - The structure, influence, definition and activities of the gang are not uniform. Gangs are influenced by geography and ethnicity, therefore the consequences for and influence on the family of gang membership will differ between London, Scotland and the West Midlands. - The vast majority of families experience a member's gang involvement as an additional and significant problem in their lives that may precipitate serious consequences (physical, emotional or punitive) for the gang member. - Gang involvement is likely to increase the risk of victimisation to those family members directly involved and to their associates and friends. - Although some family members may benefit materially from the criminality of their children, these benefits are usually overshadowed by the feelings of helplessness, shame, tension and anxiety that gang-involved family members can generate. - Beleaguered families feel they lack the ability to impose appropriate boundaries and the necessary skills to address their children's gang involvement. This feeling of powerlessness is most acute when their children reach adolescence. The role of the family in desistance - Male siblings and/or wider family members play a significant role in encouraging gang membership, whilst mothers and sisters are key enablers in facilitating desistance and exit from a gang. - Leaving a gang is difficult, not primarily due to fears of gang-led reprisals or violent leaving rituals, but due to the perceived lack of viable alternatives for gang members. - Family members and networks can facilitate gang exit but success is driven by the gang member themselves. - Practitioners need to be aware of the local criminal landscape and be sensitive to multiple family issues. They will need to deploy strategies that can empower family members who are sometimes complicit, sometimes in denial and sometimes ignorant of their family members' involvement with gangs. - Despite the plethora of recent initiatives, there still remain gang-affected families and individuals who feel shunned and isolated from current attempts to engage them. - A change in physical location (family-assisted or not), away from local gangs and criminal opportunities, was seen by family members to be the most effective strategy for gang exit. Details: London: London Metropolitan University, 2013. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2014 at: http://www.catch-22.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Catch22-Dawes-Unit-The-role-of-the-family-June-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.catch-22.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Catch22-Dawes-Unit-The-role-of-the-family-June-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 132220 Keywords: DesistanceFamily InfluencesFamily InterventionsGangs (U.K.)Youth Gangs |
Author: Boehm, Steve Title: Exploring the Process of Desistance in Two High-Risk Probation Populations Summary: Problem-solving courts were developed in the 1980s and 1990s to reduce recidivism and probation revocations. The first problem-solving courts focused primarily on treating drug abuse, but the missions have expanded to include issues such as domestic violence and the problems faced by returning war veterans. Research has found these courts to be generally effective, but there is wide variation in their outcomes, and there are questions about the process offenders undergo as their identity shifts from offender to non-offender. This dissertation presents qualitative and quantitative analysis of interview data for a group of problem-solving court probationers (n = 19) and a similar group of regular probationers (n = 19) that explores the differences and similarities in how these groups describe the probation experience. In general, the groups' descriptions are more similar than they are different, but those small differences suggest that the problem-solving court may be a qualitatively better experience for probationers than regular probation. Details: San Marcos: Texas State University, 2013. 170p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 15, 2014 at" https://digital.library.txstate.edu/handle/10877/4852 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://digital.library.txstate.edu/handle/10877/4852 Shelf Number: 133909 Keywords: DesistanceProbationProbationersProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Carlsson, Christoffer Title: Continuities and Changes in Criminal Careers Summary: We know that the best predictor of future criminal behavior is past criminal behavior (Robins, 1966). There is thus a striking degree of continuity in this form of behavior over time. At the same time, we know that the vast majority of people who engage in crime are teenagers and that they stop offending with age (Hirschi and Gottfredson, 1983). The findings seem to contradict each other; how can the life course with regards to crime be characterized by both continuity and change? Explaining these empirical findings has been the main task of life-course criminology, and contributing to an understanding of how and why offenders continue their criminal careers once they have started, and how and why they stop, is also the purpose of this dissertation. In this first chapter I present the features of the research field commonly referred to as life-course criminology. Having done that, I move on to review existing explanations of continuity and change in criminal careers. In the third and fourth chapter, I outline and discuss more specific issues within the field: risk and risk factors, desistance, turning points, intermittency, and masculinity. Those are the issues my papers deal with. In Chapter 5, I present the study - The Stockholm Life Course Project - which forms the empirical backbone of my papers, and provide a fairly thorough description and methodological discussion, highlighting several features of the project. Since methodological considerations seldom get the attention they deserve when you write in journal format, I attempt a small remedy of that here. Having done so, I briefly summarize the papers in Chapter 6 before I turn to implications in the final chapter, along with prospects for future research. Details: Stockholm: Stockholm University, 2014. 127p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 23, 2014 at: http://su.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:703878/FULLTEXT02.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Sweden URL: http://su.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:703878/FULLTEXT02.pdf Shelf Number: 133936 Keywords: Criminal Careers (Sweden)DesistanceLife-Course CriminologyStockholm Life Course Project |
Author: Kivivuori, Janne Title: The Robustness of Self-Control as a Predictor of Recidivism Summary: In prior research, we examined the correlates of self-assessed re-offending probability (SARP) in a sample of Finnish short-term prisoners (Kivivuori and Linderborg 2009 and 2010). We observed that multiple variables tapping the social adjustment and social deprivation of the prisoner were associated with SARP. Having few or no siblings, having lived outside nuclear family conditions during childhood, lack of parental supervision during youth, and negative events during adulthood increased the variety of offences the prisoner projected to his post-release future. Negative events were incidents that reflect poverty or the breaking of social ties: being fired from a job, divorce, being evicted from an apartment, need to seek social assistance, need to loan money from friends and relatives, and mental health problems. The research additionally included two measures tapping the dimension of personal self-control. We observed that low self-control and high youth crime involvement were associated with increased SARP. One of the basic goals of the research is to examine social factors and self-control as correlates of SARP, when both are simultaneously controlled in a single model. In this respect, the core finding was that social factors and self-control were both significant correlates of SARP. These findings were based on a cross-sectional survey of short-term prisoners in Finland (Kivivuori & Linderborg 2009 and 2010). The basic structure of the data was cross-sectional, even though the outcome variable was pseudo-longitudinal (offences subjectively projected to post-release future). In reporting the cross-sectional findings, we also anticipated the logical next step, namely, replacing the subjective and cross-sectional outcome variable (SARP) with a genuinely longitudinal outcome variable (Kivivuori & Linderborg 2010, 137). In this research brief, we build on this by using a genuinely longitudinal outcome variable of recorded recidivism (RR) after release from prison. Replacing SARP with RR enabled us to do three things: first, we examined whether the prisoners' estimates concerning their own future behaviour were correct. Second, we assessed whether variables associated with SARP remain robust predictors when their link to RR is investigated. Third, we tentatively assessed whether SARP itself, now conceptualised as prisoner desistance optimism during the prison term, is a predictor of recidivism. Details: Helsinki: National Research Institute of Legal Policy, 2012. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief 25/2012: Accessed February 27, 2015 at: http://www.optula.om.fi/material/attachments/optula/julkaisut/verkkokatsauksia-sarja/E9Lo8aUWV/25_research_note.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Finland URL: http://www.optula.om.fi/material/attachments/optula/julkaisut/verkkokatsauksia-sarja/E9Lo8aUWV/25_research_note.pdf Shelf Number: 134729 Keywords: DesistanceRecidivism (Finland)ReoffendingSelf-ControlSocial CapitalSocial Control |
Author: Steinberg, Laurence Title: Psychosocial Maturity and Desistance From Crime in a Sample of Serious Juvenile Offenders Summary: The Pathways to Desistance study followed more than 1,300 serious juvenile offenders for 7 years after their conviction. In this bulletin, the authors present key findings on the link between psychosocial maturity and desistance from crime in the males in the Pathways sample as they transition from mid-adolescence to early adulthood (ages 14-25): - Recent research indicates that youth experience protracted maturation, into their mid-twenties, of brain systems responsible for self-regulation. This has stimulated interest in measuring young offenders' psychosocial maturity into early adulthood. - Youth whose antisocial behavior persisted into early adulthood were found to have lower levels of psychosocial maturity in adolescence and deficits in their development of maturity (i.e., arrested development) compared with other antisocial youth. - The vast majority of juvenile offenders, even those who commit serious crimes, grow out of antisocial activity as they transition to adulthood. Most juvenile offending is, in fact, limited to adolescence. - This study suggests that the process of maturing out of crime is linked to the process of maturing more generally, including the development of impulse control and future orientation. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2015. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin: Accessed March 16, 2015 at: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/248391.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/248391.pdf Shelf Number: 134941 Keywords: AdolescenceDesistanceJuvenile Offenders (U.S.)Juvenile to Adult Criminal CareersPsychosocial Maturity |
Author: McDermott, Shelly-Ann Title: Moving forward: empowering women to desist from offending Summary: This qualitative research explores women's experiences of empowerment, desistance and compliance. The study engages directly with seven women sentenced to woman--specific court orders delivered within London Probation. The individual and group interview data were analysed using the template analysis technique (King). The key finding is that women who offend require practical assistance alongside confidence--building support in order to move away from criminal activity. Furthermore, provision should clearly delineate between criminal justice (focused on risk and punishment) and social support (that is individualized and holistic) in order to promote desistance (SETF, 2009). Funding services in a sustainable manner would facilitate women's continued access to provisions within mainstream settings that last beyond short--lived court sentences (Gelsthorpe et al., 2007). Crucially, early and preventive interventions can effectively empower women to overcome underlying problems and pursue conventional lifestyles (SETF, 2009; Sommers et al., 2004). Details: London: Griffins Society, 2012. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper 2012/02: Accessed May 27, 2015 at: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/Research%20Paper%202012-02.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/Research%20Paper%202012-02.pdf Shelf Number: 129827 Keywords: DesistanceFemale OffendersFemale ProbationersGender- Specific ProgramsRehabilitationTreatment Programs |
Author: Sarver, Christian M. Title: Parole, Re-incarceration, and Desistance: Utah Parolees Summary: The current study complements the earlier literature review and survey of Utah reentry practices and is comprised of two parts. Part I provides a quantitative description for a cohort of Utah parolees, describing their demographic backgrounds, criminal history, and programmatic factors that predict parole violations and new criminal offenses. Part II, based on interviews with 50 Utah parolees, is a qualitative analysis of offenders' experience returning to the community after release from prison. In particular, the qualitative portion of the study explores parolees' perceptions of those things that foster and inhibit reintegration after incarceration. Details: Salt Lake City: Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah, 2014. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 28, 2015 at: http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/Reentry_Yr2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/Reentry_Yr2.pdf Shelf Number: 135793 Keywords: DesistanceParoleParoleesPrisoner ReentryRecidivismRehabilitation |
Author: Roman, Caterina G. Title: Child Support, Debt, and Prisoner Reentry: Examining the Influences of Prisoners' Legal and Financial Obligations on Reentry Summary: Former prisoners are increasingly facing the burden of financial debt associated with legal and criminal justice obligations in the U.S., yet little research has pursued how - theoretically or empirically - the burden of debt might affect key outcomes in prisoner reentry. To address the limited research, we examine the impact that having legal child support (CS) obligations has on employment and recidivism using data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI). In this report we describe the characteristics of adult male returning prisoners with child support orders and debt, and examine whether participation in SVORI was associated with greater services receipt than those in the comparison groups (for relevant services such as child-support services, employment preparation, and financial and legal assistance). We also examine the lagged impacts that child support obligations, legal employment and rearrest have on each other. Results from the crossed lagged panel model using GSEM in STATA indicate that while having child support debt does not appear to influence employment significantly, it does show a marginally significant protective effect - former prisoners who have child support obligations are less likely to be arrested after release from prison than those who do not have obligations. We discuss the findings within the framework of past and emerging theoretical work on desistance from crime. We also discuss the implications for prisoner reentry policy and practice. Details: Philadelphia: Temple University, Department of Criminal Justice, 2015. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248906.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248906.pdf Shelf Number: 136134 Keywords: Child Support Children of Prisoners (U.S.) Criminal Justice DebtDesistanceEx-Offender EmploymentInmates Families Prisoner ReentryRecidivism |
Author: Stewart, Lynn Title: Effective interventions for Women offenders: A Rapid Evidence Assessment Summary: This summary presents the findings of a review of the evidence of what interventions, and targets for intervention, reduce women's reoffending. The review also examines evidence of factors that promote desistance from crime. The review was commissioned to assist the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in designing an evidence-based commissioning strategy by summarising the evidence base into "what works" to address key areas. Key findings - Evidence suggests that the following reduces women's offending: (1) substance abuse treatment, in particular in-custody or hierarchical therapeutic community programmes that apply a cognitive-behavioural intervention focusing on skill development; (2) a gender-responsive cognitive-behavioural programme that emphasises existing strengths and competencies, as well as skills acquisition; (3) community opioid maintenance, which may reduce offending rates while the women are in treatment; (4) booster programmes that assist in maintaining treatment effects through community follow-up, which appear to contribute to improved outcomes; (5) gender-responsive approaches, which show promise relative to gender-neutral programmes. - Appropriate treatment targets for women offenders overlap with those of male offenders. Factors found to be consistently related to women's recidivism are: antisocial personality (problems with impulse control, emotion regulation and hostility), antisocial peers, antisocial attitudes and substance abuse. Targeting offenders with the most serious levels of substance abuse for treatment should be part of any strategy to reduce women's criminality. - Women's violent crime, including partner assault, is associated with alcohol abuse; acquisitive crime and soliciting are related to serious drug abuse. Very little research examines the effectiveness of programmes in reducing women's violence. - Serious mental health issues are associated with violent offending among some women offender samples. For these women, mental health needs must be stabilised prior to participation in programmes that address criminogenic need. - A prosocial personal identity may permit women to take advantage of potential opportunities to establish desistance from crime. This suggests that interventions that use motivational, solution-focused techniques, encouraging women to seek their own meaningful "hooks" for lifestyle change, could promote desistance. - Programmes for women offenders may be particularly effective if they focus on higher-risk offenders. - Single-target programmes focusing only on reducing the effects of trauma do not appear to contribute to reductions in women's reoffending. Details: London: National Offender Management Service, 2015. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Analytical Summary: Accessed July 30, 2015 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/448859/effective-interventions-for-women-offenders.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/448859/effective-interventions-for-women-offenders.pdf Shelf Number: 136260 Keywords: DesistanceFemale OffendersGender-Specific ProgramsRecidivismRehabilitationTreatment Programs |
Author: Descormiers, Karine Title: From getting in to getting out: The role of pre-gang context and group processes in analyzing turning points in gang trajectories Summary: Drawing from a mixed-methods approach, the current dissertation examines the sequential process of gang membership, from gang entry to gang disengagement. The dissertation is driven by three interrelated aims. First, the study aims to assess whether variations in opportunities for membership and the nature of gang entry are related to pre-membership factors. Second, it aims to investigate whether gangs' organizational structures and group processes are associated with the nature of their criminal opportunities. Third, it explores the relationship of both individual and group factors to the disengagement process. The study uses retrospective self-reported and official data gathered from a sample of 73 gang members involved in the Study on Incarcerated Serious and Violent Young Offender in Burnaby, British Columbia. Results suggest that being embedded in a criminal social environment facilitates early entry into gangs but not avoidance of an initiation in gangs that require them. A need for recognition and respect is associated with late entry and the occurrence of an initiation. A closer look into the initiation events described by participants revealed three general types: (1) the ego violent event, (2) the crime commission, and (3) the expressive violence towards others. An ego violent initiation was more frequent among younger prospective members and those who were coerced into joining. Individuals who were looking for respect were more likely to be required to perpetrate an act of violence toward someone in order to get in. No individual characteristics were associated with crime commission type. In terms of group characteristics, nature of initiation is not associated with any type of gang organizational structure: both organized and less organized gangs may initiate their members and do so in similar ways. Type of initiation, however, was found to reflect the nature of the criminal activities of the gangs. In terms of gang desistance, internal gang violence and pre-membership criminal social environment both facilitated the persistence of membership and delay in disengagement from gangs. The dissertation addresses the theoretical and policy implications of such findings. Details: Burnaby, BC: Simon Fraser University, 2013. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 5, 2015 at: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/13831 Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/13831 Shelf Number: 136339 Keywords: DesistanceGangsYouth Gangs |
Author: Graham, Hannah Title: Scottish and International Review of the Uses of Electronic Monitoring Summary: This Review provides a bounded overview of Scottish and international evidence and experience of the uses, purposes and impact of electronic monitoring (EM). Electronic monitoring, using radio frequency (RF) technology, currently operates at a number of points in the adult criminal justice system in Scotland, which are reviewed in Section 2. EM is most often used with adults as a stand-alone measure without additional criminal justice social work supervision and support from others. Restriction of Liberty Orders (RLOs) and Home Detention Curfews (HDCs) are the two most commonly used electronic monitoring modalities, making up 53% and 45% respectively of all electronically monitored orders in Scotland (G4S, 2015). In terms of children and young people (aged under 16 years), electronically monitored movement restriction conditions are used in a relatively small proportion of cases of those supervised through Intensive Support and Monitoring Service (ISMS) orders in Scotland. Electronic monitoring is significantly cheaper than the cost of incarceration. The average unit cost for electronic monitoring in Scotland in 2013-2014 was L743 (L1,043.73) (a significant reduction from L1,940 (L2,725.21) in 2011-2012) (Scottish Government, 2015; Scottish Government, 2013b). This figure is based on total expenditure across all forms of electronic monitoring, including as part of a Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) as well as part of Movement Restriction Conditions (MRCs) imposed with children and young people by the Children's Hearings System. In 2013, the average cost per EM order per day in Scotland was estimated at L10.17 (L14.29) (Scottish Government, 2013a: 7). In terms of order completion, approximately 4 out of 5 of those made subject to EM in Scotland complete their period of monitoring (G4S, 2015). There is some evidence that breach rates are higher for those under longer periods of monitoring, among younger people and among those with more extensive criminal histories. Section 3 of this Review provides a circumscribed overview of a range of purposes and uses of electronic monitoring in different international jurisdictions, including: violent crimes; domestic abuse; sexual crimes; alcohol and drug-related crimes; vehicle theft; with people with prolific offence histories and with people suspected or convicted of terrorism. Two types of offenders are highlighted here, in discussions of the international evidence and experience regarding the uses and impact of global positioning system (GPS) tagging and tracking. In relation to sex offenders, this Review establishes the following: - Despite some emergent positive research findings of the impact of this technology during the period of monitoring, there remains a significant lack of empirical evidence to support the positive impact of GPS-based monitoring of sex offenders in terms of increasing compliance, reducing re-offending and enabling desistance and reintegration; - Where research has shown that GPS-based monitoring of sex offenders has been associated with benefits and positive impact, EM is usually integrated with other surveillance, supervision and risk management, and supports; - Where it is used on a mid- to long-term basis, GPS-based monitoring of sex offenders may be less cost-effective and less easily ethically defensible, in that it can cost more than other electronic monitoring technologies such as RF and 'standard' probation supervision, although it remains cheaper than prison, yet it may not realise significant reductions in re-offending and may have unintended consequences in the lives of monitored people. However, findings on the grounds of fiscal efficiency are mixed; some US studies state that GPS monitoring of sex offenders is cost effective. Additionally, Sections 3 and 4 of this Review of the uses, effectiveness and impact of GPS tagging and tracking with domestic abuse defendants and offenders show that: - There has been growth in the use of GPS tagging and tracking in places like the United States, Spain and Portugal, with both criminal justice and civil - in the form of EM restraining orders - pilots and initiatives specifically designed for perpetrators of domestic abuse. A considerable number of these initiatives use GPS EM at the pre-trial stage, to reduce the use of remand (imprisonment) while ensuring surveillance forms a part of tailored risk management within the granting of bail; - Limited available research from the US suggests that pre-trial GPS monitoring of domestic abuse defendants is more effective, in comparison to RF EM, in reducing violations and promoting compliance; - Professional ideology and institutional orientations affect the use and impact of GPS monitoring technology, with motivational and collaborative approaches yielding different results to punitive approaches; - Bilateral EM is becoming a feature of discussions about victim participation in the EM of domestic abuse offenders, and while victims hold a diversity of positions on this, it seems to attract mostly positive responses. The empirical evidence and criminological literature on GPS-based bilateral EM is limited and relatively new, and it is too early to make strong claims about its impact, and comparisons to RF EM, on compliance, reducing re-offending and enabling desistance after their EM order has concluded. Section 4 of this Review highlights a number of other significant findings regarding impact and effectiveness based on international evidence and experience: - Overall, the electronic monitoring programmes and approaches which are shown to reduce reoffending during and/or after the monitored period are mostly those which include other supervision and supportive factors (e.g., employment and education, social capital) associated with desistance. The effective approaches discussed here have developed on the basis of high levels of integration with supervision and support from Probation Officers and other staff and services. In other words, the more effective programmes and approaches, in Europe in particular, are those where EM is not a stand-alone measure. - The effective approaches discussed here use tailored, and in some cases quite restrictive, eligibility criteria to determine who can participate in EM programmes. This affects how the impact of EM on recidivism, desistance and reintegration should be interpreted. - A significant number of the major empirical studies conducted - mostly in North America and the United Kingdom - in the last fifteen years conclude that the efficacy of EM in reducing re-offending after it has concluded is modest or minimal. Whereas research from other countries - especially Scandinavian countries and some European countries - indicates more extensive effectiveness and positive impact. - There is currently only limited empirical literature available which focuses on the perspectives and lived experiences of monitored people regarding issues of compliance (or non-compliance), legitimacy, and desistance from crime. More research is needed. - Flexibility in the use of EM orders and conditions may foster motivation for monitored people to comply. The capacity to incentivise and reduce curfew hours and days (e.g., curfews from 7 days a week down to 5 days a week) as a form of recognition and reward for a monitored person's formal compliance in the initial stages of an order may positively affect their perceptions of the legitimacy of that order. More research on this is needed. Details: Glasgow: Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, 2015. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: SCCJR REPORT No.8/2015: Accessed August 28, 2015 at: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Scottish-and-International-Review-of-the-Uses-of-Electronic-Monitoring-Graham-and-McIvor-2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Scottish-and-International-Review-of-the-Uses-of-Electronic-Monitoring-Graham-and-McIvor-2015.pdf Shelf Number: 136612 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationDesistanceElectronic MonitoringGlobal Positioning SystemsOffender SupervisioinTagging |
Author: Melendez Pereto, Anna Title: Restorative justice and desistance. The impact of victim-offender mediation on desistance from crime Summary: This research aims to examine the capacity of restorative justice to have an influence on desistance from crime, by focusing on mediation processes in order to identify whether there is a relationship between participating in a mediation process and taking the decision to desist from crime as well as to study the offenders' stability in a pro-social life, desisting from deviant behaviour. A particular aim of the research is to explore whether the victims' participation in the process, restoration and the process itself can promote positive changes in the offenders' behaviour after completion of the mediation programme dealt with in this research. First, to examine to what extent the offender can reduce the use of some neutralisation techniques. Specifically, the aim is to analyse whether the offender is able to recognise that there has been a victim, to admit having injured someone and to admit rather than deny responsibility for it. Second, the aim is to analyse whether mediation enables offenders to express guilt, remorse and shame and thus lead them to change their offending behaviour. And finally, to analyse whether the process has an impact on the offender's ability to reflect on what happened and its consequence. The empirical study has two main parts divided in four different moments. The first part of the study has three stages. The first is at the beginning of the process and offenders have to complete a self-administered pre-test questionnaire -at the end of the first individual mediation session- in order to know their expectations of the process. The second takes place immediately after the mediation, and offenders complete a self-administered pot-test questionnaire. During direct mediation -when victim and offender met together with a mediator- non-participant observation is carried out to observe the interaction between parties. In indirect mediation the last session with the mediator is observed. The second part of the study, which takes place 6 months later, consists of a final narrative interview with the offenders who had been observed during mediation in order to learn more about the offenders' life course, their experience in mediation and its possible impact on their lives in the future. Details: Barcelona: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciencia Politica i de Dret Public, 2015. 343p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 19, 2015 at: http://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/309139 Year: 2015 Country: Spain URL: http://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/309139 Shelf Number: 136997 Keywords: DesistanceRestorative JusticeVictim-Offender Mediation |
Author: Larkins, Cath Title: 'Just Putting Me on the Right Track': Young people's perspectives on what helps them stop offending Summary: HMI Probation (2011) found that that not enough attention has been given to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of interventions that tackle offending behaviour, suggesting that Youth Offending Teams need to access and make more use of information about what works in making interventions more effective and that better case planning is needed, together with training and development for practitioners. There is very little evidence of why particular interventions work and also a need for high quality research on "offenders" views on what helped or hindered them in giving up crime' (Sapouna 2011: 43). This research therefore aimed to: - build on existing understanding of what works in reducing reoffending - conduct participatory research to explore the relevance of these studies in the context of the lived experiences of young people in contact with YOT; - understand from young people's perspectives why particular interventions may work; - make recommendations regarding YOT practice as appropriate. The research was carried out by Cath Larkins and John Wainwright at The Centre for Children and Young People's Participation at the University of Central Lancashire School of Social Work. A literature review was presented to a core group of four young people in custody. They reflected on the themes in existing research and their own experience. They then developed participatory research activities. The researchers conducted these activities with a further 46 young people in contact with YOT. The research will be followed by an action planning process to consider how any strategic developments emerging from report might be implemented. Details: Preston, UK: University of Central Lancashire, 2014. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2016 at: http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/9483/1/Larkins%20and%20Wainwright%202014%20-%20right%20track%20PUBLISHED.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/9483/1/Larkins%20and%20Wainwright%202014%20-%20right%20track%20PUBLISHED.pdf Shelf Number: 137826 Keywords: Delinquency PreventionDesistanceInterventionsJuvenile OffendersRehabilitation |
Author: Kenny, Julia Title: New Directions: Understanding and Improving Employment Pathways in Youth Justice in Northern Ireland Summary: In 2014, NIACRO and The Bytes Project commissioned five research papers to improve the overall understanding of the short and long-term issues affecting the thousands of young people in contact with the youth justice system or who are at risk of offending. This research project was developed in tandem with the delivery of the New Directions pilot project, a partnership between NIACRO and The Bytes Project funded by the Department for Employment and Learning through the Collaboration and Innovation Fund. New Directions aimed to enhance the education, training and employment opportunities of young people aged 16-18 years old in contact with the youth justice system. Through the work of the project in both the community and the Juvenile Justice Centre, it supported young people to change their offending behaviour and overcome barriers to effective resettlement. This innovative project, which offered tailored programmes of support and individual pathway plans, was developed in partnership by NIACRO and The Bytes Project, two organisations with a wealth of experience in working with people affected by the justice system. NIACRO is a voluntary organisation which has been working for more than 40 years to reduce crime and its impact on people and communities, working with children and young people who offend or who are at risk of offending, families, and adults in prison and in the community. The Bytes Project aims to remove individual barriers to training and employment by assisting young people to overcome extreme, social and educational disadvantage so they can make a difference in their lives, become economically active and make a positive contribution to their communities. As well as providing a valuable service to the young participants, New Directions sought to improve understanding of the complex barriers they faced and identify areas for improvement. The Youth Justice Review in 2011 highlighted how youth justice rehabilitation policy and legislation "needs to be overhauled to reflect the principles of proportionality and minimise the counter-productive impact of a criminal record on desistance from offending". Details: Dublin: NIACRO and The Bytes Project, 2015. 220p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2016 at: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24302/1/New_Directions_-_Research_Papers_June_2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24302/1/New_Directions_-_Research_Papers_June_2015.pdf Shelf Number: 138261 Keywords: Desistance Employment Ex-Offender Employment Juvenile Offenders Juvenile Rehabilitation Youthful Offenders |
Author: Terry, Diane J. Title: Social Supports and Criminal Desistance among Formerly Incarcerated Youth in the Transition to Adulthood Summary: Nearly 100,000 youth exit correctional facilities each year and reenter the community. As they attempt to resituate themselves in their former environments, many will encounter emotional, social and logistical challenges that may deter them from achieving success. Further, many will reoffend shortly after their release. In order to break cycles of crime and recidivism among youth offenders, it is necessary to explore the pathways that lead them away from crime, particularly as they transition into adulthood. Theory asserts that criminal desistance is a process that entails individual behavioral changes, changing life circumstances, and environmental context. Little is known however, about how young people perceive and navigate the challenges they encounter in this process. Moreover, scholars have not fully explored the relationships between social supports and desistance, including how formerly incarcerated youth perceive, utilize, and access support to help them stay out of trouble. This study used a narrative, life history approach to explore the relationship between criminal desistance, perceptions, and use of social supports among formerly incarcerated, transition-age youth. The researcher conducted 30 in-depth qualitative interviews with 15 formerly incarcerated young men, ages 19-24. Coding and memoing were used to identify major themes related to the participants' desistance journeys and to develop a set of findings concerning the relationship between social support and criminal desistance in the transition to adulthood. This study located three offender typologies, each holding different ideas of desistance ranging from complete abstinence from crime to committing crimes while avoiding police contact. These definitions shaped how they approached the desistance barriers they faced: appearance, feeling marked, and relationships with people and places in the environment. Three important findings emerged with regards to the study variables. First, micro-level decision making helped the participants to navigate desistance barriers. Second, successful desisters latched onto "hooks" that enabled them to transition into adulthood and away from their criminal pasts. Last, social supports served as both a barrier and a coping strategy in the desistance process. Key implications are identified regarding how to better understand the construct of desistance, and how social supports can help young men in the desistance process. Details: Los Angeles: University of California at Los Angeles, 2012. 212p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 18, 2016 at: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1s1455vg Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1s1455vg Shelf Number: 138329 Keywords: DesistanceJuvenile OffendersRecidivismRehabilitationSocial ServicesYouthful Offenders |
Author: Gilbert, Jarrod Title: Youth Desistance in Aotearoa New Zealand: What We Can Learn from Higher Risk Former Offenders Summary: This report is based on a study of 51 people who were imprisoned at a young age and who were assessed as having a medium to high risk of re-offending, but who nonetheless desisted from crime. The research was commissioned to understand how and why this desistance occurred. Despite uniformity of the qualifying factors, there were significant differences between many participants within the research cohort. At each end of this spectrum of difference we identified high- and low-end outliers, and these became important lenses through which to view different desistance processes and challenges. - Prison was reported to be a deterrent from crime by 81 percent of the cohort. - Sentence length was not related to deterrence: there were no meaningful differences between longer and shorter sentences. - Deterrence was influenced by both fear of returning to prison and the boredom associated with imprisonment. Executive summary - There was a sense among most participants that they did not 'fit in' with other prisoners. Nonetheless, many reported in hindsight that the prison experience had some positive effects. - Those who had spent time in both youth and adult units reported that youth units were harder, more frightening and more dangerous places than adult facilities, and that they felt less safe within them. - In order of likelihood, the decision to desist was made in prison, before prison, and after prison. The decision to desist was most often a conscious and quick one, made at the point of arrest, conviction or imprisonment. For a minority of subjects the decision formed over a longer timeframe and tended not to be overt or conscious. Both types of desistance decision ended in a 'switch' in thinking, meaning a desire to not commit crime in the future. - One strong deterrent element of imprisonment among some participants was the shame they felt about the embarrassment caused to other family members. Details: Canterbury, NZ: Independent Research Solutions, 2014. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 30, 2016 at: http://www.jarrodgilbert.com/uploads/1/1/6/3/11633778/desistance_report_final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.jarrodgilbert.com/uploads/1/1/6/3/11633778/desistance_report_final.pdf Shelf Number: 138493 Keywords: DesistanceDeterrenceJuvenile OffendersOffender RehabilitationReoffendingRepeat Offenders |
Author: Great Britain. HM Inspectorate of Probation Title: Desistance and Young People Summary: Desistance is the process of abstaining from crime amongst those who previously had engaged in a sustained pattern of offending. Desistance theories have had a growing influence on probation policy and practice with adult offenders. By contrast, there is more limited research and evidence about youth desistance and no unified, accepted definition. To add to the evidence base, we have assessed the effectiveness of practice in Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) across the main themes which desistance research has identified as being important in supporting children and young people's routes away from offending. In recent years, YOTs statutory workloads have reduced significantly, as has their funding and often their continuity of staff. Alongside the paucity of research, those changes may well have affected the extent to which some YOTs are able to apply themselves to youth desistance, and do so skillfully. In this inspection we found that a small number of case managers clearly had an excellent grounding and understanding of desistance theory. They were able to reference relevant research and identify some of the key ideas and implications for practice. The majority of staff, however, were not schooled in desistance theory and were unclear about how key concepts and approaches could be applied. In this report we confirm that as with adults, personalised approaches work best - those that take into account gender and ethnicity, for example. In this inspection we found that effective methods for children and young people are age-appropriate, and based on a good understanding of the individual's needs, history and circumstances, for example Looked After status. Details: London: HM Inspectorate of Probation, 2016. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 6, 2016 at: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/05/Desistance_and_young_people.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/05/Desistance_and_young_people.pdf Shelf Number: 139282 Keywords: DesistanceJuvenile OffendersJuvenile RehabilitationRecidivism |
Author: Lauwaert, Katrien Title: Desistance and restorative justice. Mechanisms for desisting from crime within restorative justice practices Summary: The project 'Desistance and restorative justice. Mechanisms for desisting from crime within restorative justice practices' focuses on the benefit offenders can get in a desistance perspective from participating in a restorative justice (RJ) process. The research was developed as a complement of an earlier study the European Forum for Restorative Justice coordinated on 'Victims and restorative justice' and as a response to an increasing interest of in particular policymakers in knowing what the effect of participation in restorative justice processes is on offending behaviour. Recidivism research has looked into the link between RJ and reoffending. The results are not conclusive, but show that at least there is a potential for RJ to reduce crime. Recidivism research, with its mainly quantitative approach, does not, however, provide insight in why this influence occurs. Therefore this project has investigated 1) how participation in restorative justice processes influences the desistance journey of people who have offended, and 2) which factors within restorative justice practices support subjective and social changes that help initiate or maintain desistance from crime. A qualitative approach was used in order to answer the research questions. We interviewed 80 desisters who had taken part in a restorative justice process. The interviews were conducted in in Austria, Belgium, and Northern Ireland. In Austria the juvenile and adult desisters had participated in victim-offender mediation which is organised as a pre-trial diversion measure for not so serious offences. In Belgium the adult desisters had participated in victim-offender mediation which runs parallel to the criminal justice procedure and involves (rather) serious offences. In Northern Ireland the juvenile desisters had participated in diversionary and court-ordered conferencing for offences of varying seriousness as part of the regular procedure. The findings of the research confirm that victim-offender mediation and conferencing as practiced in Austria, Belgium and Northern Ireland have the potential to influence desistance; sometimes as a trigger for change, but more often as a support for an ongoing desistance process. The research uncovered a number of recurring factors and dynamics. However, every desistance account was highly individual and therefore no generalisations should be made. In all three countries the work of the mediator created an atmosphere of openness and respect, and this set the right context for other effects to happen. Adopting a non-judgmental attitude, showing a willingness to listen, and not labeling the participants as criminals was conducive to a constructive spirit and open communication in which participants felt comfortable to speak freely, to explain their whole story and to take responsibility. Although the flexibility of the restorative justice process differs in the three countries, it was clear that the possibility to tailor the process to the needs of the parties also helped to make it a useful experience for the desisting offender. The communication with the victim was a dominant element in terms of impact on change. Facing the situation of the victim, experiencing the sometimes constructive attitude of the victim, the fact that the offender could explain things, apologise, express regrets and show changes in his life since the offence, these had all been helpful elements. The restorative justice process enabled the offenders to change their perspective, to develop empathy with the victim, or to acknowledge the real impact of their behaviour. After the restorative justice process the offenders had felt relieved, they had felt courageous and proud or it had helped them to turn the page. In Northern Ireland in particular the rehabilitative elements in the reparation plans, which were prepared during the conference, were beneficial to many participants, especially to the juveniles who had been persistent offenders. Moreover, these young persons benefitted strongly from the relationship they were able to develop with the Youth Justice Agency worker who supervised the completion of their reparation plan, and from the ethos and humanising response they received from the Youth Justice Agency as a whole. Financial reparation as a result of a mediation, came to the fore as an element supporting desistance in a few Belgian narratives. How were these factors helpful for desistance? Through these factors, the restorative justice processes helped desisters to deal with emotions of shame, blame, guilt and culpability. They instilled hope, provided an opportunity to find closure or to confirm the desister's pro-social identity. In specific situations the restorative justice process helped repairing relationships. Furthermore, it was seen as (very) helpful by the participants that the restorative justice process prevented a case to go to court, or that the restorative justice process supported a positive decision for an early release from prison. Finally, the efficacy of victimless conferences and conferences with drug addicted offenders are areas which merit further attention, as our findings indicate that these situations may prevent restorative justice processes from influencing desistance. Details: Leuven: European Forum for Restorative Justice, 2015. 190p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2016 at: http://www.euforumrj.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Research-report-desistance-and-RJ-total-doc-24-11-final.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Europe URL: http://www.euforumrj.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Research-report-desistance-and-RJ-total-doc-24-11-final.pdf Shelf Number: 145115 Keywords: DesistanceRecidivismReoffendingRestorative JusticeVictim-Offender Mediation |
Author: Buck, Gillian Title: Peer mentoring and the role of the voluntary sector in [re]producing 'desistance' : identity, agency, values, change and power Summary: Despite much enthusiasm for the practice of peer mentoring by ex-offenders it has received very little empirical scrutiny. This thesis examines the micro dynamics and intimate interactions within these relationships. In doing so it highlights how mentors are often much more than functional additions to existing criminal justice systems. They are also presented as teachers, co-operators and critical agents. The narratives in this study highlight how dominant forms of knowledge often minimise or miss the lived experiences of crime and change. In contrast, peer mentors place lived experiences at the centre of their approach and in doing so they critically question exclusionary practices and re-humanise themselves and their peers. The work of peer mentors also highlights and at times challenges the hidden power dynamics that are subsumed when ‘regular’ interventions take place. But, mentoring cannot avoid or operate outside of these power relationships. It can and does generate other power dynamics. Whilst many of these complex relations remain hidden in current evaluations of the practice they are rendered visible here. Data were obtained from qualitative interviews with eighteen peer mentors, twenty peer mentees, four service coordinators and two Probation officers, who were drawn from a range of voluntary sector providers in the North of England. Observations of practice were also carried out, including: volunteer recruitment processes; training courses; and formal supervision sessions. Where possible mentors were also observed facilitating group work with their peers. The analysis of the data drew upon techniques of thematic analysis and critical discourse analysis focusing upon how mentoring was described, performed and justified by participants. As a result of this analysis five overarching themes emerged. These are: identity, agency, values, change and power. Details: Newcastle, UK: Keele University, 2016. 406p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed January 25, 2016 at: http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/2410/1/BuckPhD2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/2410/1/BuckPhD2016.pdf Shelf Number: 147801 Keywords: DesistanceEx-offendersMentoringPeer Mentoring |
Author: The Social Innovation Partnership Title: The Wire (Women's Information and Resettlement for Ex-Offenders) Evaluation Report Summary: Summary of findings - Reconviction rates: The reconviction rate for the eligible 104 engaged WIRE partcipants (out of a total of 342 referred women) was 42%, against 51% for the national average for women offenders and 88% for prolific offenders. Whilst there are issues around how this is evidenced, our additional qualitative analysis broadly supports that the WIRE is a valued service. - Desistance: The average number of offences per participant halved for the 12 months at liberty after the programme as compared to the 12 months before (at 2 offences as compared to 4 previously). Again, there are similar evidencing issues, although we seek to address these through our additional analysis (e.g. interviews). - OASys:Using OGRS3 categories, roughly half of WIRE participants in "high" and "very high" risk of reoffending categories had not reoffended after 12 months (which is half the standard OGRS3 period), which appears to be an encouraging result. However, these results will need to be confirmed after two years post-conviction. - Continuing success: Resourcing issues could affect the ongoing success of the WIRE programme, limiting staff's ability to (i) give dedicated personal support and (ii) perform a sufficient amount of ongoing reporting to improve performance as measured by both Stage 1 and Stage 2 indicators, and also to evidence successes and support fundraising. - Programme Strategy: Evidence suggests that WIRE outcomes are more likely to be achieved at the early stage (Stage 1) of WIRE interventions. - People (resourcing): The project struggled to match staffing levels with demand (principally due to funding constraints), despite this the team were able to meet housing and meet at the gates targets. - Administration: There were a number of issues identified with reporting strategies. The evaluators worked with the WIRE team to identify and implement solutions. - People: The complex nature and motivation of clients to change has the potential to impact the success of the project, clients need to want to engage for success to be achieved. The staff are also a key component of the success of the project, the workers need to possess a unique blend of tenaciousness to achieve outcomes and empathy to understand the women's experiences. - Outcomes: Housing outcomes are a strength of the WIRE and it is from this solid foundation that the workers are able to support the women in desisting from crime. - Process: The individualised nature of the service requires staff have skills and that enable them to dedicate the time needed to support women through this intense period. High demand for the service and funding constraints mean staff numbers are such that they have been focusing on Stage 1 as opposed to stage 2. Recommendations and Next Steps - Evidence practices: A number of reporting and evidence practices have been improved in the course of this evaluation. These improvements should be endorsed and maintained, within the WIRE and beyond, as a way of improving services, ensuring value for money and potentially assisting with future fundraising activities. - Staff and resourcing: Sufficient staff and resources should be allocated to the WIRE, including administrative support, to allow the core team to focus on delivery. To improve Stage 2 outcomes, the programme should be seen as sufficiently distinct (WIRE Plus) to require smaller case loads - Process refinements and stakeholder engagement: Work should be done with prisons to restore an appropriate prison presence, even if just once a week, for WIRE staff. Awareness of the WIRE and its full range of work (i.e. beyond housing) should also be raised amongst other key organisations, along with the evidence of the WIRE's work with clients. Details: London, UK: The Social Innovation Partnership, 2012. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 16, 2019 at: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/misc/Support%20for%20vulnerable%20women%20leaving%20prison%20full%20report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/misc/Support%20for%20vulnerable%20women%20leaving%20prison%20full%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 154216 Keywords: DesistanceEx-OffendersFemale OffendersGenderHousingPost ConvictionPrisonerPrisoner-Release ProgramsPrisonsReoffendingResettlementWomen Offenders |
Author: Moran, Kevin Title: Desisting in Prison: Myth and the Council for Unity Model Summary: This dissertation is a qualitative examination of aspects of the desistance process among incarcerated men in both prison and jail. Data collection for this project occurred in and around the correctional version of the Council For Unity program, which is also examined in this write up. The premise of this project is that a minority of men do desist whilst incarcerated and thus the research presented here analyzes how prisoners act towards their attempts to desist from crime in terms of the meaning this process has for them, their interaction with others during this process, and the interpretative progression by which meanings of self, other, and environment are handled and modified with the goal of becoming crime free, both behind and beyond bars. Data collection for this project consisted of eighteen months of ethnographic observation of the Council For Unity program sessions held at a local jail as well as an unstructured survey administered to twenty five program participants at a maximum security facility. The findings are as follows. Data from the unstructured surveys suggests that prisoners conceive of and orientate towards prison spaces and their occupants in the manner of an ecology, in which certain places - entrapment niches - forestall desistance, whereas others - enabling niches - promote and sustain desistance. Findings from ethnographic observation suggest that program participants, jail inmates, in discussing their attempts to desist, frequently evoked the role of "the streets" or streetlife in this process, both as a seductive force as well as an undertow associated with drowning or submersion. Further findings that an orientation towards the streetlife can be challenged by three categories of events: the recognition of time as a diminishing force, the impact negative emotional events and the potency of disillusionment with criminal peers. This project also examined a series of generative exchanges within the program space. Findings here suggest that program participants are partially primed towards generative behavior and thought, although the ability to forward self as a deterrent is tempered by the need to maintain continuity of self in the change process. Details: New York: City University of New York, 2017. 198p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed February 15, 2018 at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3209&context=gc_etds Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3209&context=gc_etds Shelf Number: 154611 Keywords: Desistance |
Author: Cruickshank, Cheryl-Ann Title: "Nothing has convinced me to stop": Young people's perceptions and experiences of persistant offending Summary: Nothing Has Convinced Me To Stop results from the former Scottish Executive tasking the project with consulting young people about persistent offending. The report explores the views and experiences of those living in residential care about how and why they persistently offend, what contributes to their offending behaviour escalating and what helps them to reduce it or indeed stop offending. The consultation focused on areas with high concentrations of 'persistent offenders' in residential care, consulting young people living in various settings - residential units, residential schools, secure units and young offender institutions. Details: Glasgow: University of Strathclyde, 2008. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2019 at: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/20235/1/strathprints020235.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/20235/1/strathprints020235.pdf Shelf Number: 154782 Keywords: Chronic OffendersDesistanceJuvenile OffendersPersistant OffendersYouth CrimeYouthful Offenders |
Author: Bilby, Charlotte Title: Re-imagining futures: Exploring arts interventions and the process of desistance Summary: This report was commissioned by the Arts Alliance, the national body representing arts in criminal justice. Jointly funded by the Ministry of Justice and the Monument Trust, the Arts Alliance represents a growing network of over 470 arts practitioners and organisations working in prisons and the community to support men, women and young people to lead crime-free lives, through creative interventions. The coalition Government's Transforming Rehabilitation strategy and ongoing austerity measures mean rapid and complex change across the Criminal Justice System. This includes opening up the market, restructuring of the prison and probation service and the introduction of payment-by-results mechanisms to re-offending outcomes. The Transforming Rehabilitation agenda also includes acknowledgement of offenders' complex backgrounds and a call for increased development of offenders' vocational skills to enhance future employability alongside learning opportunities which address responsiveness and diversity issues (NOMS, 2012; MoJ, 2013). This landscape presents huge challenges and potential opportunities for innovative arts projects, which contribute towards the important 'intermediate' outcomes that enable individuals to make positive steps towards effective rehabilitation. This research, along with the growing body of evidence, suggests there are strong reasons to consider arts in criminal justice an area of considerable significance and innovation. Arts practice aims to bring about a positive affect experience in the participant (Parkes & Bilby, 2010). The affective experience, which can include a sense of community cohesion, that time is passing at a different pace, or an improved feeling of self-satisfaction and achievement, can be linked to desistance from crime. Desistance is the process by which people who have offended stop offending (primary desistance) and then take on a personal narrative (Maruna, 2001) that supports a continuing non-offending lifestyle (secondary desistance). Change is not a linear process; rather some will zigzag and will offend again on the journey to secondary desistance. In order for desistance from crime to take place, Giordano, Cernkovich and Rudolph (2002: 999-1002) suggest that there is a four-stage process which includes an openness to change; exposure and reaction to 'hooks' for change (or turning points); imagining and believing in a 'replacement self'; and a change in the way that offending and deviant behaviour is viewed. Maruna (2007: 652) notes that 'desistance is typically understood to be more than just an absence of crime. Desistance is the maintenance of crime-free behaviour and is an - active process in itself- it involves the pursuit of a positive life'. This research considers the possible relationships between the intricate process of abstaining from crime and the influence that taking part in some form of art-based enrichment activity might have on participants. Employing a qualitative methodology, the research addresses a number of questions linked to intermediate steps (or outcomes) in an individual's journey to desistance from crime. The research specifically explores how arts interventions contribute towards enabling people to form positive identities, build new narratives and build positive relationships with peers, staff and family. It also begins to investigate how arts interventions enable people to make significant behavioural changes. The latest National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Commissioning Intentions Document (October 2013) recognises the importance and complexity of these intermediate steps, which may lead to desistance from crime. The research team investigated five arts projects in four criminal justice settings, including practising visual arts in a high security adult male prison; music and deejaying skills with young offenders in the community; a music making project in a resettlement (open) prison and creative writing and bookbinding in a closed female prison. The research team spent at least four sessions with each of the projects observing the activities and interviewing participants, arts practitioners and prison staff as part of an in-depth qualitative methodology. The team also used participants' written work and evaluations, and examples of the work produced in the arts activities. This data was analysed using a thematic, content analysis approach. This piece of research demonstrates a clear link between taking part in arts-based activities and the movement towards secondary desistance. It identifies the importance of arts practice for the participants and shows what types of outcomes successful projects should be producing. The research also highlights the importance of collecting qualitative as well as quantitative data on arts projects and their participants when measuring these changes. Analysis of the data across all five projects produced the following key findings: - Participation in arts activities enables individuals to begin to redefine themselves, an important factor in desistance from crime. - Arts projects facilitate high levels of engagement. This is significant because many individuals in contact with the Criminal Justice System have struggled to engage with productive activities in the past. Participants must engage in order to be able to redefine themselves. Engagement in arts projects has also been shown to lead to greater participation in education and work-related activities. - Arts projects can have a positive impact on how people manage themselves during their sentence, particularly on their ability to cooperate with others - including other participants and staff. This correlates with increased self-control and better problem-solving skills. - Engagement with arts projects facilitates increased compliance with criminal justice orders and regimes. - Arts projects are responsive to participants' individual needs. Current policy documentation on commissioning services to meet offenders' needs highlights the importance of responsiveness in meeting diverse needs. The status of arts practitioners as professional artists is highly significant in the success of projects and their impact on participants. The value of this should not be underestimated by agencies of the Criminal Justice System when considering using external organisations. - Arts projects provide safe spaces for individuals to have positive experiences and begin to make individual choices. The findings from this research clearly indicate that arts projects can contribute to an individual's journey to desistance. The findings highlight key outcomes for participants and the importance of the relationships with project facilitators. There is now a need for longitudinal research, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods, to assess how far the findings presented here are sustained in the long term. Details: London: Arts Alliance, 2013. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 25, 2019 at: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/16846/1/Re-imagining_Futures_Research_Report_Final.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/16846/1/Re-imagining_Futures_Research_Report_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 155161 Keywords: Arts ProgramsCorrectional ProgramsDesistanceMusic TherapyMusical ProgramsOffender RehabilitationRecidivismRehabilitation ProgramsWriting Programs |
Author: Maguire, Mike Title: Developing a toolkit to measure intermediate outcomes to reduce reoffending from arts and mentoring interventions Summary: The aim of the research was to develop a framework for measuring the outcomes of mentoring or arts interventions for offenders. The focus was on 'intermediate outcomes', defined here as measurable changes in individuals that are directly or indirectly associated with reductions in reoffending. Such outcomes may also produce other social and individual benefits, independent of any demonstrable effect on offending. The main objective was to design and develop a robust but user-friendly instrument to measure changes of the above kind. A theoretically informed 29-item questionnaire, named the Intermediate Outcomes Measurement Instrument (IOMI), was produced through an iterative process of literature searches, consultation, piloting and analysis. IOMI has not undergone full validity and reliability testing, but the results of initial testing have been encouraging. The IOMI forms part of a broader toolkit for service providers to assist them in evaluating their work. The toolkit includes: guidance on the administration of IOMI and how it could be used as part of wider evaluations; a data entry tool to facilitate the collection and analysis of IOMI data; and a tool for the collection and presentation of cost data. While the IOMI was developed for use in arts or mentoring interventions with adult male offenders, it is likely that it will have wider applicability to other intervention or groups. Its main purpose is to provide evidence of offenders' progress towards desistance, which is not necessarily reflected in standard reoffending rates. This could be particularly valuable for capturing any contribution to desistance made by individual interventions which are not expected to reduce reoffending on their own. Details: London: HM Prison & Probation Service, 2019. 52p., 22p. app. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Analytical Series: Accessed March 26, 2019 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/787767/intermediate-outcomes-toolkit-report.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/787767/intermediate-outcomes-toolkit-report.pdf Shelf Number: 155170 Keywords: Arts Programs Correctional Programs DesistanceMentoring Interventions Offender Rehabilitation Recidivism Reoffending |
Author: Prisoners' Education Trust Title: Greenhouses not Warehouses: Commissioning Education to Plant Seeds of Hope and Opportunity Summary: Prisons are being given increasing flexibility and control over education budgets and the ability to commission a wide range of provision. Governor-led commissioning is an exciting opportunity to increase engagement of prisoners in education to achieve a whole-prison learning culture. The PLA has produced this workbook aimed at helping governors and managers plan and commission education. It includes a self-assessment tool and provides advice, case studies and additional resources around ten key aspects of commissioning. This timely resource sets out the crucial questions to be thinking about and suggestions for how to bring together the right people to answer them for your prison and population. Details: London, United Kingdom: Prisoner Learning Alliance and Prisoners' Education Trust, 2017. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 31, 2019 at: https://www.prisonerseducation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PLA-Greenhouses-not-warehouses-Workbook-web-version-1.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://ec.europa.eu/epale/mt/node/72547 Shelf Number: 156115 Keywords: Correctional Programs DesistanceEducation Program Incarceration Offender Rehabilitation Prison Programming PrisonersReoffending |