This white paper considers how imprisonment shapes the desistance process for individuals who are chronically criminally active and discusses the implications of these findings for policy, practice, and research.
Research shows that imprisonment has few, if any, beneficial effects on criminal activity, except for the period when the individual is in a correctional facility. It also shows that imprisonment has disruptive effects o the life-course of individuals, leading to worse labor market outcomes, more disrupted family lives, and worse health. As a result, it seems reasonable to assume that incarceration impedes the desistance process. Virtually none of the existing research considers how imprisonment affects the desistance process for individuals who chronically engage in criminal activity. This is an important oversight because this is the group of criminally active individuals for whom desistance from crime is most important both for society and for themselves. This paper considers how imprisonment shapes the desistance process for individuals who are chronically criminally active and discusses the implications of these findings for policy, practice, and research.
Downloads
Similar Publications
- Examining the Relation Between Early Violence Exposure and Firearm-Related Experiences in Emerging Adulthood: A Longitudinal Cohort Study
- Trauma Behind the Keyboard: Exploring Disparities in Child Sexual Abuse Materials Exposure and Mental Health Factors Among Investigators and Forensic Examiners - A Network Analysis
- Neurofeedback Enhanced Trauma Treatment for Adolescents in Residential Treatment