Practically Emotional: What Works With Young Men’s Desistance

• In Event: When the Outside Comes In: The Voluntary Sector’s Role in Promoting Desistance in Prisons

Abstract

The rate of criminal offending in the United States peaks in the young adult years, suggesting this group needs extra support in the desistance process. However, little is known about the qualities of services that facilitate desistance during confinement and re-entry, especially from non-governmental agencies. This study poses the following research questions: (1) How do young adult men experience effective re-entry services from non-governmental agencies? (2) What qualities do they describe in those beneficial re-entry programs? To address these questions, we conducted focus groups with 40 young men who had been released from jail or prison within the prior year, recruited through community-based non-profit agencies in Los Angeles, California. Seven of the groups included men between the ages of 18-25, and two additional focus groups consisted of men over 28 years of age. We analyzed the content of the focus groups for key themes without imposing a specific theoretical perspective. The young men identified a variety of services that had helped them move toward desistance, including education, job training, and the arts. The three major themes were: fostering an emotional connection (“showed them love”), delivering practical help (as opposed to “vacant promises”), and continuity “from the inside out.”

Authors

• Matthew Lawrence Mizel, University of California, Los Angeles

• Laura S. Abrams, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs