Social Opportunities and Controls: Revisiting the Desistance Effect of Employment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Employment serves as a source of desistance from crime, principally through the establishment of informal social controls, but for offenders seeking prosocial change there are significant barriers to obtaining employment and practical questions over how impactful work experiences may be at reducing future crime. A central question involves how a reforming offender might obtain employment, such as whether they utilize social network opportunities. The current study uses the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997) to explore changes in offending behavior through employment, incorporating utilization of social networks to obtain employment. The results identify a long-term reduction in offending, but also suggest that social network opportunities may provide limited prosocial growth experiences. The study create opportunities for theoretical expansion in desistance research and suggest nuances in social patterns applicable to the process of desistance.