Post-Release Success among Paroled Lifers

Marieke Liem and Jennifer Garcin
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Marieke Liem: Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Jennifer Garcin: College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA

Laws, 2014, vol. 3, issue 4, 1-26

Abstract: Previous research suggests that social relations, in particular the forming of family ties and employment (social factors), self-efficacy (personal factors), and therapeutic interventions (institutional factors) constitute main contributors in post-release success. These studies, however, have largely been based on general delinquents serving relatively short prison terms. This study aims to shed light on the influence of social, personal, and institutional factors on post-release success versus failure among paroled lifers. We conducted in-depth life-history interviews with 64 individuals who had served a life sentence, who were either re-incarcerated for another crime or parole violation, or were currently out on parole. The role of social factors in desistance among long-term incarcerated offenders was minimal. Rather, self-efficacy appeared to be a key element in post-release success. These findings suggest that research based on short-term incarcerated offenders cannot be directly translated to long-term incarcerated offenders. This group does not experience the same traditional turning points, such as establishing family ties and employment. Accordingly, long-term prisoners may go through a different process post-release that determines their success versus failure compared to general delinquents who serve shorter sentences.

Keywords: desistance; redemption; effects of imprisonment; violent offenders; life course; agency; self-efficacy; recidivism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D78 E61 E62 F13 F42 F68 K0 K1 K2 K3 K4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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