Out of prison, out of crime? The complex interplay between the process of desistance and severe resource disadvantages in women‘s post-release lives
| Published date | 01 November 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/14773708221097667 |
| Author | Elanie Rodermond,Steve Van De Weijer,Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard,Catrien C. J. H. Bijleveld,Anne-Marie Slotboom,Candace Kruttschnitt |
| Date | 01 November 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Out of prison, out of crime?
The complex interplay between
the process of desistance and
severe resource disadvantages
in women‘s post-release lives
Elanie Rodermond
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), The Netherlands
Steve Van De Weijer
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), The Netherlands
Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), The Netherlands
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Catrien C. J. H. Bijleveld
VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), The Netherlands
Anne-Marie Slotboom
VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Candace Kruttschnitt
University of Toronto, Canada
Corresponding author:
Elanie Rodermond, Criminal Law and Criminology, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1077, 1081 HV
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Email: e.rodermond@vu.nl
Article
European Journal of Criminology
2023, Vol. 20(6) 1852–1877
© The Author(s) 2022
Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1177/14773708221097667
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Abstract
We examine the influence of social capital, subjective changes and post-release resource disadvan-
tages on women‘s desistance and reentry pathways. Using a sample of 1478 formerly incarcerated
women, we estimate logistic hybrid random-effects models to assess the influence of several fac-
tors on offending during a 7-year follow-up period. Weuse inter views witha subsample of women
to explore the mechanisms underlying the quantitative findings. Results show that the effect of
often-studied forms of social control are to a large degree dependent on (unmeasured) individual
differences and circumstances, such as pre- and post-incarceration adversities, and the quality of
forms of social control. A desire to desist from crime is often blocked by severe resource
advantages.
Keywords
desistance, reentry, female offenders, pathways, life-course
Introduction
The amount of research on formerly incarcerated women is expanding rapidly, dictated
by rising numbers of women in the criminal justice system worldwide and high incar-
ceration and recidivism rates (Mowen et al., 2019; Olson et al., 2016; Sered and
Norton-Hawk, 2020; Sheely, 2020; Staton et al., 2019; Walmsley, 2015). Knowledge
on how women fare after release and the factors either supporting or hindering desis-
tance efforts is pivotal for programmes aimed at reducing women‘s recidivism. It is
now widely acknowledged that some of the factors that have been found to benefit
men‘s post-release outcomes are also prevalent in women‘s accounts, such as employ-
ment, romantic relationships and social support (Cobbina, 2009; Griffinand
Armstrong, 2003; Griffin et al., 2020; Kruttschnitt, 2016; Leverentz, 2006; Sheely,
2020; Steiner et al., 2015).
However, potentially more salient than the question of which factors, by themselves,
contribute to or hinder women‘s reentry process and related desistance efforts is the ques-
tion of how these factors influence these processes. Recent theorizing has brought
forward a framework wherein subjective changes such as shifts in identity, motivations
and cognitive transformations are regarded essential ingredients that in fact precede
acquiring new forms of social capital or tightening existing ones and, hence, the initiation
of the desistance-process (Giordano et al., 2002; Paternoster and Bushway, 2009). Even
though this framework has the potential to increase knowledge on the mechanisms under-
lying success after release from prison, the discussion is still limited in three respects.
First, it lacks a more nuanced appreciation of how women who are (about to be) released
from prison move from a general desire and willingness to change to a set of post-release
life circumstances that can support the desired new direction. Second, it remains unclear
whether and if so how individual and social factors interact and reinforce one another.
Lastly, it is unknown which factors, out of the broad constellation of factors typically
influencing post-release outcomes, can be considered a conditio sine qua non, an absolute
prerequisite for the initiation of successful reentry and desistance from crime.
Rodermond et al. 1853
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