Corrections_Today_January-February_2022_Vol.84_No.1

nEWS&vIEWS

NIJ Update

Desistance from crime On the frontier of criminal justice research By Benjamin Adams, M.S., D. Michael Applegarth, M.S.W. and Marie Garcia, Ph.D.

A heightened emphasis on desistance research for the real world The study of desistance from crime gained prominence in aca- demic criminology in recent decades, advancing theoretical perspectives, measurement and the examination of factors that help explain how and why individuals change their behav- ior over time. The application and implementation of desistance princi- ples to criminal justice interventions and broader policy and practice has not followed at the same pace. Rigor- ous evaluations of such interventions are scarce, as are attempts to opera- tionalize and measure desistance at scale in real-world criminal justice contexts and settings. Recidivism remains the primary measure used in research and practice to gauge criminal justice effectiveness and as a marker of individual success or failure. However, there is grow- ing recognition among criminal and juvenile justice stakeholders that desistence research may offer impor- tant applications in efforts aimed to reduce crime and improve individual outcomes.

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For the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the scientific research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, a heightened focus on the promise of desistance research means ad- vancing innovative and rigorous desistance studies and elevating the national conversation by sharing current knowledge widely with the

field. Helping to guide that are six recently published, foundational NIJ white papers by leading scholars on desistance and related issues. 1 These NIJ papers form a new volume on desistance that will help illuminate promising research that can inform more positive, grounded approaches to facilitating individuals’ movement away from crime.

14 — January/February 2022 Corrections Today