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Desistance from crime

NIJ FY22 Research and Evaluation on Desistance from Crime

Closing Date
Grants.gov Deadline
Application JustGrants Deadline

With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous evaluations of desistance-based interventions to advance understanding of strategies that might aid in the process of desistance, including programs targeting intimate partner violence. This may include proposals to expand prior evaluation efforts to extend follow-up periods. 

Desistance From Crime: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

November 2021

Most scholars would agree that desistance from crime – the process of ceasing engagement in criminal activities – is normative. However, there is variability in the literature regarding the definition and measurement of desistance, the signals of desistance, the age at which desistance begins, and the underlying mechanisms that lead to desistance. Even with considerable advances in the theoretical understanding of desistance from crime, there remain critical gaps between research and the application of that research to practice.

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Desistance from Crime: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

Why do people stop their involvement in crime? What factors help shape this process? How can policy and practice improve individuals’ chances of ending their criminal behavior?

No single criminal justice agency can promote desistance on its own. Partnerships across state, local, and federal agencies — along with the support of family and community stakeholders — are instrumental in supporting desistance from crime and reducing recidivism.

In NIJ’s new publication Desistance From Crime: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice, experts explore these and other...