Gender, Crime, and Desistance: Toward a Theory of Cognitive Transformation

Abstract

This article analyzes data derived from the first detailed long-term follow-up of a sample of serious adolescent female delinquents and similarly situated males. Neither marital attachment nor job stability, factors frequently associated with male desistance from crime, were strongly related to female or male desistance. A symbolicinteractionist perspective on desistance is developed as a counterpoint to Sampson and Laub's theory of informal social control, and life history narratives are used to illustrate the perspective. This cognitive theory is generally compatible with a control approach but (a) adds specificity regarding underlying change mechanisms, (b) explains some negative cases, and (c) fits well with life course challenges facing contemporary serious female (and more provisionally male) offenders.In a series of recent analyses, Robert Sampson and John Laub highlight the importance of marital attachment and job stability as key factors associated with desistance from crime (Laub, Nagin, and Sampson 1998;Laub and Sampson 1993;Sampson and Laub 1993). While the delinquents they studied were more likely than others to continue to offend as adults, there was considerable variability in the success of their adult transitions and in the timing of movement away from a criminal lifestyle. Sampson and Laub develop a social control explanation that emphasizes the gradual

Exoffender Accounts of Successful Reentry from Prison

“…Exoffenders often explain reform as a process of self-transformation and personal decision-making rather than something managed by outside agencies (Maruna et al, 2009). Finding catalysts or "hooks" (Giordano, Cernkovich, & Rudolph, 2002) for lasting change and reform was critical, and often relied on others' positive reinforcement and support of the exoffender.…”

“…In fact, faith and religious communities often provide a way of life that is "fundamentally incompatible with continued deviation" (Giordano, Cernkovich, & Rudolph, 2002, pp. 1000-1001.…”

Imprisonment, Social Support, and Desistance: A Theoretical Approach to Pathways of Desistance and Persistence for Imprisoned Men

“…Cognitive transformation theory, especially as formulated by Giordano et al (2002), states that once a person has shifted to a mental state of openness to change, the person must have access to "hooks for change", that is, new life circumstances, such as involvement in a treatment program, a religious experience, or a new couple relationship. These hooks may be useful for elaborating a narrative of the change process, facilitating new pro-social relationships, and ultimately allowing people to build alternative versions of themselves.…”

“…According to cognitive transformation theory, the contingencies that imply the failure to achieve these roles or the loss of them (e.g., from divorce or unemployment) may not threaten the desistance process if the person has already developed an identity in which offending behavior is considered unacceptable (Giordano et al, 2002). Losing a hook for change may increase the difficulty of the desistance process, but the person may actively seek other hooks to maintain the change (Bottoms & Shapland, 2011).…”

Once a Criminal Always a Criminal? A 15-Year Analysis of Recidivism Among Female Prisoners in Massachusetts

“…There is a strong body of literature pointing to the inoculating effect that marriage has on criminal reoffending recidivism (Beaver et al, 2008;Giordano et al, 2002;Sampson & Laub, 1993;Somers et al, 1994;Uggen & Kruttschnitt, 1998). However, other researchers conclude that marriage and social relationships and networks have a complex relationship to recidivism and desistance.…”