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Individual To Desist From Crime: The Process Of Desistance

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Desistance is the process of an individual having the ability to stop committing crime. In order for a criminal to desist from crime, they themselves must want to change and understand fully the circumstances involved. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) people who go through the process of desistance often continue to carry out crime but perhaps get others to do the work for them. Desistance is about the individual being able to remove themselves away from crime completely and being able to maintain that power of remaining out of crime. Issue such as drug abuse, peer pressure and returning to their neighbourhoods where there are high crime rates are challenges the individual might face. (Richards and Jones, 2004). The aim of this essay is to see how a former criminal can desist from criminal behaviour in an appropriate manner of society. In order for an individual to desist from crime key life transition factors such as age, marriage, employment and the peer groups are all contributing factors.

A study by Gluecks in the 1930s and 1940s was carried out on 500 men up to the age of 32. Sampson and Laub (2003) then examined 53 of these 500 men up to the age of 70 to see had their criminal career continued. They found that these men desisted from crime when routine and structure was introduced to them. Routine and structure would be to focus on the offender’s family life and less time spending with peers who influence crime. Removing the individual from their criminal

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