Desistance is the gradual, long-term process through which individuals reduce and eventually stop engaging in illegal behavior. It doesn't happen in a single moment. Instead, it unfolds over time as people begin to think differently about themselves, access new opportunities, and strengthen the social bonds that support change.
Rather than centering punishment, desistance theory examines how and why change occurs, drawing on research about identity formation, cognitive shifts, maturation, and the role of supportive relationships. Justice professionals routinely encounter individuals at various points along this change process, and understanding desistance helps practitioners respond with greater clarity and intention.
This blog explores how desistance concepts align with evidence-based practice in criminal justice and how structured, research-informed approaches can strengthen professional practice and support long-term progress.
At its core, desistance theory helps us understand the several stages people move through as their offending behavior declines. Researchers typically distinguish three levels of desistance, each reflecting a different degree of change:
These distinctions matter because desistance is not a single moment. It is a process marked by progress, setbacks, reflection, and gradual realignment.
Many individuals experience what researchers describe as "zig-zag patterns," where steps forward coexist with occasional steps back. Over time, growth occurs through maturation, shifts in perspective, and the strengthening of personal agency. Studies find that these factors are shaped by both brain development and social environments.
Several theoretical traditions contribute to our understanding of desistance:
Because of these broad influences, desistance theory aligns naturally with the behavioral science foundations that guide evidence-based practice. It complements structured approaches that help practitioners support change in consistent and research-informed ways.
Understanding why people change requires looking closely at the forces within and around them.
Internally, individuals often begin their desistance journey through shifts in identity, thinking, and personal belief. A change in how someone sees themselves (paired with increased hope, motivation, and self-efficacy) can create the conditions for long-term behavioral change.
These cognitive and emotional adjustments don't guarantee success on their own, but they open the door. Real progress typically emerges when the belief in their ability to succeed meets genuine opportunity.
External supports play an equally decisive role in sustaining desistance theory's change process. Stable employment, reliable routines, supportive family members, and prosocial networks all help reinforce new behaviors. For some individuals, relocating to a new environment or accessing safe, stable housing becomes the turning point that allows change to take root.
Community relationships matter as well, often more than systems realize. When people feel connected, respected, and supported, they are more likely to maintain momentum and less likely to return to old patterns.
For justice professionals, these internal and external factors provide practical guidance. Integrating desistance theory into assessments helps practitioners look beyond static risk factors to consider strengths, goals, identity, and readiness for change. This perspective aligns with evidence-based practice in criminal justice, including the risk-need-responsivity framework that emphasizes matching interventions to both needs and capabilities.
Carey Group's structured tools and resources strengthen this work. By helping practitioners build engagement, support problem-solving, and recognize incremental progress, Carey Group's products and services make the principles of desistance actionable in everyday supervision and case management.
Professional practice plays a crucial role in shaping the conditions under which desistance can take hold.
Research consistently shows that the way justice professionals communicate (and the quality of the relationships they build) profoundly influences client engagement and long-term outcomes. Trust, consistency, and fairness are central to promoting the behavioral shifts associated with desistance theory. When people feel respected, listened to, and treated with dignity, they are more willing to participate in change processes that, by nature, require vulnerability and persistence.
A communication style that highlights abilities, acknowledges effort, and maintains respectful, client-centered communication encourages clients to see themselves as capable of growth. Motivational interviewing deepens that impact by helping individuals clarify values, resolve ambivalence, and articulate their own reasons for change.
Another cornerstone of effective practice is helping clients set achievable goals and recognizing progress along the way. Even smaller improvements, such as less frequent offending or improved decision-making, reflect the "deceleration" and "de-escalation" metrics identified in desistance research.
Celebrating these steps reinforces new identities and strengthens the relational and community recognition that supports tertiary desistance.
Finally, desistance theory integrates naturally with established evidence-based frameworks. When risk-need-responsivity and CBT-based interventions are adapted to emphasize long-term development rather than short-term compliance, they become powerful tools for supporting behavioral change.
Carey Group training and EBP consulting help agencies apply these principles with fidelity by guaranteeing practitioners have the structure, skills, and ongoing support needed to sustain positive change in everyday practice.
Integrating desistance theory into justice and rehabilitation systems requires a meaningful shift from short-term compliance to long-term behavioral change. This transformation acknowledges that progress is gradual, often uneven, and best supported through structures that promote stability and opportunity.
Effective systems intentionally reduce unnecessary labeling, reconsider overly long sentences, and expand access to community-based supports. Research demonstrates that each of these approaches reinforces desistance more reliably than punitive responses.
To support this shift, agencies may consider:
Best practices show that embedding desistance theory into daily practice requires assessments and supervision strategies that account for developmental, relational, cognitive, and biosocial influences. Instead of focusing only on risks, practitioners emphasize fairness, collaboration, achievable goals, and strengths-based engagement. When these elements combine, supervision becomes a vehicle for identity change rather than mere oversight.
Organizational development is essential for implementing desistance theory. Carey Group's EBP consulting helps agencies:
Through these supports, Carey Group helps agencies create systems built for long-term desistance rather than short-term compliance.
No justice agency can foster desistance alone. Effective integration depends on collaboration among probation, courts, corrections, behavioral health providers, human services, and community partners. When these entities work in concert with shared goals and consistent methods, they create a stable, coordinated environment that supports individuals' gradual movement away from crime and toward successful reintegration.
Desistance is not a single turning point. It is a gradual, highly individual process shaped by internal motivation, shifting identities, and the environments people return to every day. Progress may unfold slowly, sometimes unevenly, but it strengthens when individuals encounter consistent support, clear structure, and meaningful opportunities to pursue new roles in their families and communities.
Justice professionals play a central role in this work. Their communication, expectations, and day-to-day decisions help create the conditions for hope to take root. When practitioners recognize client strengths, reinforce small wins, and maintain a steady, person-centered approach, they directly contribute to long-term behavioral change.
Ultimately, lasting change emerges when desistance theory, strong EBP models, and high-quality practitioner training operate together. When systems align these components, they build pathways that enable individuals to stop offending and grow into identities and futures they can sustain with confidence.
Carey Group's evidence-based training and consulting services address the needs of the justice system and behavioral health professionals. Training is an essential tool for keeping staff, supervisors, leadership, and stakeholders up to date with emerging knowledge and expectations for improved outcomes. Working closely with Carey Group professionals, agencies are better able to offer a mixture of in-person, online, and self-directed courses on evidence-based practices, motivational interviewing, core professional competencies, case planning and management, continuous quality improvement, coaching, and the use of behavior-change tools and supervisor resources. Talk to a Carey Group consultant today to get started!