THE THEORY OF DESISTANCE FROM CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND ITS APPLICATION IN REHABILITATIVE–PREVENTIVE PRACTICE
Keywords:
Desistance, rehabilitation, prevention, life-course criminologyAbstract
This article examines the contemporary theory of desistance from criminal behavior and translates its insights into rehabilitative–preventive practice within correctional and community settings. Using a conceptual-analytic method grounded in the desistance literature, the paper synthesizes life-course, cognitive-transformational, and social capital perspectives to explain why and how people stop offending and sustain change. The study clarifies core concepts such as primary and secondary desistance, turning points, identity work, and relational supports, and connects these to program design, case management, and outcome measurement. The results of the analysis indicate that desistance is best understood as a gradual, relational, and context-dependent process in which agency and structure interact; consequently, effective practice must align personalized supervision, pro-social opportunities, and recognition-rich interactions that reinforce a non-offender identity. The article concludes with implications for policy and practice: integrating strengths-based assessment, mentoring and family engagement, employment pathways, procedural justice in everyday interactions, and long-term follow-up metrics beyond simple reconviction rates.
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