Life‐course Transitions and Desistance From Crime*

Abstract

Sampson and Laub (1993) provided a major contribution to the study of criminal careers by linking criminal behavior to life‐course transitions, such as marriage, employment, and entry into the military. To interpret their findings, these investigators relied exclusively on control theory. In a sharp departure from that position, this study offers evidence that life‐course transitions affect criminal behavior by altering relations with delinquent peers. Focusing on marriage, the analysis shows that the transition to marriage is followed by a dramatic decline in time spent with friends as well as reduced exposure to delinquent peers, and that these factors largely explain the association between marital status and delinquent behavior. The findings suggest that changing patterns of peer relations over the life course are essential for understanding criminal life‐course trajectories.

Exoffender Accounts of Successful Reentry from Prison

“…Much of the research on the importance of personal identity, healing, and connections to family and children has focused on incarcerated women (Clone & DeHart, 2014;Heidemann, Cederbaum, & Martinez, 2014;Herrschaft et al, 2009). While a significant body of work shows bonds to work, marriage, and child-rearing can decrease the likelihood of recidivism (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990;Laub & Sampson, 2003;Sampson & Laub, 1993;Warr, 1998), little work has specifically highlighted the importance of emotional bonds for incarcerated men. Our study draws attention to the importance of relational support for men returning to their communities perhaps especially when traditional hooks for change, like employment, are elusive.…”

“…For some, preprison stakes in conformity and ties to conventional roles and relationships are especially important. The importance of healthy bonds to family and community cannot be overstated (Herrschaft, Veysey, Tubman-Carbone, & Christian, 2009;O'Brien, 2001;Laub, Nagin, & Sampson, 1998;Uggen, 2000;Wakefield & Wildeman, 2014;Warr, 1998). The family can serve as an important "agent of re-socialization" into the free world (La Vigne, Visher, & Castro, 2004;Visher, Kachnowski, La Vigne, & Travis, 2004).…”

“…The family can serve as an important "agent of re-socialization" into the free world (La Vigne, Visher, & Castro, 2004;Visher, Kachnowski, La Vigne, & Travis, 2004). For others, however, cutting ties with family members and prior associates might facilitate criminal desistence (Warr, 1998).…”

Desistance from sexual offending: Do the mainstream theories apply?

“…The factors underpinning the importance of relationships are thought to be similar to those described above for work as the other half of what has been termed the "respectability package" (Giordano et al, 2002) -relationships give people a sense of meaning in their lives, and an emotional investment that they do not wish to lose. New relationships can also disrupt routine activities that may have brought people into situations where crime was likely (Warr, 1998), and provide a form of informal social control where the risk of losing a valued intimate relationship acts as a primary motivator for conformity and a check on future criminal behaviour.…”

Measuring Long Term Individual Trajectories of Offending Using Multiple Methods

“…individuals who do not offend for a certain number of years after an age cutoff are defined as desistors. This period of non-offending ranges from 1 year (Warr 1998) to 11 years (Farrington and Hawkins 1991). In contrast, a number of recent articles have stressed that people should be defined as desistors based on their latent propensity to offend, as revealed by observed behavior, rather than on their observed behavior.…”