1. Moving away from
prediction literature:
Applying desistance
theory to tackle the issue
of reoffending
Megan Coughlan 24/03/16

2. Outline
• Three stages in offending process
• Reoffending statistics and research
• One reoffending theory
• Three categories of desistance theories
• Application of desistance theories to reoffending

3. Three stages in offending
Farrington (2015)
• Beginning
• Career length
• End
Theories
• Onset
• Reoffending
• Desistance

4. Onset Theories
Example of theories
• Strain theory (Agnew,
2005)
• Subculture theory (Cohen,
1995)
• General theory of crime
(Gottfredson & Hirschi,
1990)
Limitations
• Emphasis on universality
ignores the complexity and
changeability of human
behaviour
• Cannot take into account the
individual and his/her
surrounding context
• SPOOCS: “Past criminality
does not necessarily determine
offending levels in the early
20s, and new factors emerge to
help alter old patterns of
behaviour”

5. Definitions
Reoffending
• Nagin et al (2009):
• Reoffending refers to “all
criminal acts committed by
a person.”
• Reoffending researchers
do not assume that
offending will be constant
throughout the life course
but occur at a high level
compared to other
offenders
Desistance
• Bottoms et al. (2004):
• Desistance refers to “any
significant lull or crime-free
gap in the course of a
criminal career.”

6. Irish Reoffending
Statistics
• CSO (2015): recidivism rate of 47.5% within three
years
• Reoffending most likely in first 12 months of
release
• Only 6 studies on reoffending conducted in
Republic of Ireland.

7. Irish reoffending research
Reimprisonment Reconviction
Hart (1974) ✔
Probation Service
(2007, 2008)
✔ ✔
O’Donnell et al. (2008) ✔
Prison Service (2013) ✔
CSO (2015) ✔

8. Quantitative reoffending
research
Andrews and Bonta
(2010)
• Criminal history
• Antisocial personality pattern
• Social support for crime
• Pro-criminal attitudes
• Substance abuse
• Family relationships
• School/employment
• Lack of pro-social recreational
activities
Cambridge study
Farrington (2003)
• Age of onset
• Childhood risk factors
• Poor parenting skills
• Low school attainment
• Father criminality
• Risk taking behaviour

9. Reoffending Theories
Zamble and Quinsey
(1997)
• Coping hypothesis –
inability to cope along with
negative emotions
increases the likelihood of
reoffending.
Limitations
• At present there is only
one reoffending theory
• It is primarily
psychologically focused
and therefore does not
afford factors such as
social support the same
importance.

10. Desistance theories
Three categories:
• Social Control
• Psychological
• Integrative

11. Desistance Theories
Social control theory
• Laub and Sampson (2003)
• Theory: Desistance occurs
through forming pro-social
bonds that re-orientate an
individual towards
conventional society and
away from offending.
Contribution to
reoffending
• Lengthy incarcerations
• Unstable living
arrangements
• Lack of steady
employment
• Never married or divorced

12. Desistance theory
Identity theory
• Maruna (2001)
• Redemption Script: “making
good”
• One establishes their “true
identity.”
• Becomes optimistic about
their future
• Desire to give something
back to society.
Contribution to
reoffending
• Condemnation script:
“doomed to deviance”
• Self-defence mechanism
• Lack of hope
• Lack of self-efficacy

13. Desistance theories
Cognitive
transformations
• Giordano et al. (2002):
“hooks for change” already
existing in the environment
must be actively chosen
by an individual.
Contribution to
reoffending
• High level of disadvantage
• Social marginalisation
• Cognitive openness to
reoffending
• Very small gender
differences.

14. Integrative approach
• LeBel et al. (2008) determine that the complex
interaction between agency and environment key
to understanding the process of offending
• Farrall & Bowling (1999) attest to the importance
of including both social and subjective factors in
any explanation of offending.

15. Summary contribution to
reoffending
Factors
• Lengthy incarcerations
• Unstable living arrangements
• Lack of steady employment
• Never married or divorced
• High disadvantage
• Social marginalisation
• Doomed to deviance
• Cognitive openness reoffending
Concepts
• No social support
• No agency

16. Two key concepts: social
support and agency
Desistance literature:
• Pro-social support: for
example, marriage or
employment can exert
control over an individuals
behaviour encouraging
desistance.
• Agency: for example,
Maruna (2001): refers to
four main themes of self-
mastery, status or victory,
achievement or
responsibility and
empowerment, encouraging
desistance.
Generalising
concepts
• Social support: these can
be pro-social or anti-social
depending on the
individual and stage of
offending.
• Agency: Paternoster &
Pogarsky (2009; 111): “an
intentional activity directed
towards some goal.”

17. Applying these concepts to
reoffending
• Both concepts are used in desistance research
and are therefore defined pro-socially.
• Therefore, desistance research argues that
reoffenders are the opposite to desisters.
• But what if the two groups are not opposites?

18. Current research
• Parallel mixed methods approach to investigate self-
reported reoffending
• Laub and Sampson (2003): official records for their
participants showed 62% of offenders had desisted, in
actual reality self-report data revealed that only 11%
had desisted from crime.
• Examine social support and agency to see how they
are uniquely utilised at the reoffending stage
• Identify other factors relevant to reoffending
• Explore gender differences

19. Conclusion
• Integrative theoretical framework is the strongest
approach in desistance research and will therefore be
applied to further knowledge about reoffending.
• Desistance theories appear inaccurate in their claim
that reoffenders lack key concepts such as social
support and agency.
• It would appear that reoffenders do have both social
support and agency but utilise them differently.
• Key questions: What factors, influences and intentions
are relevant in the reoffending stage? And are they
uniquely utilised in this stage?