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Understanding Desistance from Crime

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2001

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10.1086/652208

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University of Chicago Press
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Laub, John H., and Robert J. Sampson. 2001. Understanding desistance from crime. Crime and Justice 28: 1-69

Abstract

The study of desistance from crime is hampered by definitional, measurement, and theoretical incoherence. A unifying framework can distinguish termination of offending from the process of desistance. Termination is the point when criminal activity stops and desistance is the underlying causal process. A small number of factors are sturdy correlates of desistance (e.g., good marriages, stable work, transformation of identity, and aging). The processes of desistance from crime and other forms of problem behavior appear to be similar. Several theoretical frameworks can be employed to explain the process of desistance, including maturation and aging, developmental, life-course, rational choice, and social learning theories. A life-course perspective provides the most compelling framework, and it can be used to identify institutional sources of desistance and the dynamic social processes inherent in stopping crime.

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http://www.jstor.org/stable/1147672

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http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:3226958

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Understanding Desistance from Crime… : DASH Story 2014-02-15
It's is such a time considerate, convenient and easy to access benefit. Research is difficult enough and when you have to stop and search through data bases and enter layers of information to get to the information, it is a frustrating and crazy-making process. Thank you for open access.
Story
Understanding Desistance from Crime… : DASH Story 2014-06-13
Having this article available on-line has made it tremendously easy, in terms of access, for us students. I have decided that basis of my dissertation is desistance from crime, so this article is quite helpful.
Story
Understanding Desistance from Crime… : DASH Story 2015-09-15
I'm a newly-started PhD student at University of Technology Sydney, but live in Perth (a 5 hour flight away). I can't access the UTS library directly, so rely on UTS online, Google Scholar etc to be able to access the literature I need to be able to do my research. This paper is a key work I need to read for my literature review and I'm delighted to be able to access it online.
Story
Understanding Desistance from Crime… : DASH Story 2015-05-28
Thanks for sharing the article. I am the coordinating chaplain for Baptist Care, the community services branch of the Baptist Churches of South Australia. Part of my role includes supporting and developing programs which support offenders and ex offenders. In particular I look at ways churches as accepting, non-offending communities can provide support to offenders, especially on release. So studying desistance theory and the insights it provides into how mentoring programs for example can effectively support offender desistance and use their social capital to support offenders overcome blocks to a non offending lifestyle like unemployment is invaluable. So again thanks for sharing.
Story
Understanding Desistance from Crime… : DASH Story 2016-06-28
I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea, School of Law. Papua New Guinea is one of the 30 poorest countries in the world and ranks 145 on the corruption index by Transparency International. The University of PNG has no money and therefore does not subscribe to any journals. Our library is old and outdated. As educators, researchers and writers we are completely dependent on open source material and I cannot thank you enough for sharing your material with us. It means everything.