This report addresses the background and features of the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ’s) recent volume on desistance from crime and its ongoing research investments related to progress in achieving desistance from crime.
The recently released six-chapter volume, “Desistance from Crime: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice,” intends to further the discussion, knowledge, and application of desistance principles within criminal justice policy, practice, and research. The volume assists researchers and practitioners in bridging the gap between academic knowledge and its application in practice. The volume, along with NIJ’s ongoing research investments related to desistance from crime, contribute to insights regarding policies and practice that either promote or delay desistance from crime. For desistance initiatives to be successful, establishing and maintaining partnerships across the justice system and with families, community organizations, and researchers is critical. NIJ aims to promote the research, policies, and practices that achieve desistance from crime for those involved in the criminal justice system.