The Missing Link : Characteristics of Criminal Involvement and Motivations to Desist

• In Event: The Role of Criminal Justice Experiences in the Life Course: Cross-National Perspectives

Abstract

Research shows that desistance from crime is a complex process where structural (e.g., social ties, situational contexts) and agential (e.g., openness to change, identity) constraining and enabling factors interact. Recently, it has been suggested that the previous criminal pathway might be an important structural element to consider in this interplay. To build on this literature, the main objective of this presentation is to explore the constraining or enabling effect of the criminal path on the motivations to desist from crime. In order to do so, retrospective data were collected through semi-directed interviews with individuals recruited outside from correctional settings who had desisted from crime. Life stories were complemented with short questionnaires reviewing the main parameters of the criminal path (e.g., versatility, frequency, …). Content analysis revealed that the sources of motivation are manifold. For some, there was a clear motivation to desist from crime. As for others, desistance came along as a by-product of another project. However, in the majority of the case, motivations were connected to their latest subjective experience of criminal involvement. We believe that greater knowledge about the development of motivation to desist from crime is essential for any attempt to intervene with offenders in this regard.

Authors

• Marie-Ève Dubois, Université de Montréal

• Frédéric Ouellet, Université de Montréal