Abstract

Researchers have often argued that correlates of offending and desistance can be meaningfully considered within the same theoretical framework. While most life-course and desistance research has focused primarily on the prediction of recidivism; little research has explored the factors associated with the normative process of desistance following a term of incarceration, particularly among a contemporary sample of high-risk male and female offenders. This study investigates the process of desistance using self-reported criminal activity and substance use among a sample of 1,538 reentering male and female ex-prisoners in Delaware. Using hierarchical growth models, the current project explores the relative strengths of behavioral, self, and social control predictors of crime and substance use on the desistance process. Results suggest differing influential factors for male and female patterns of desistance, emphasizing the importance of social networks in the identity transformation process. The traditional measures of desistance (i.e., marriage and employment) failed to adequately predict desistance for both groups, but particularly among the female respondents. Instead, being a parent and maintaining a continued participation in religious services positively influenced the desistance process.