Testing a Health-Based Model of Desistance with an Intersectional Sample

• In Event: Analyzing ROADS Data to Explore Desistance: Health, Trauma, Transformation, and Redemption

Abstract

Incarceration has profound and lasting effects on individuals, influencing not only their future behavior but also their overall well-being. Building on the health-based model of desistance, this paper examines how incarceration is related to mental and physical health outcomes, and if those in turn predict crime/delinquency. These links are explored using mixed methods to analyze a mixed-race and gender sample from the ROADS data, a 7-wave longitudinal dataset. By highlighting the complex interplay between health and desistance, this study contributes to a broader understanding of how recordholders navigate post-incarceration life and the barriers they face in achieving long-term stability. Theoretical significance, policy implications, and directions for future research will be discussed.

Authors

• Andrew Thompson, University of Montana

• Rachel Novick, University of New Haven

• Mariah Robles, University of New Haven

• Ronet Bachman, University of Delaware