Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Michael Schwab

Abstract

AbstractThe United States has a high recidivism rate within its criminal population, especially among men of African American descent. However, within this population, some first-time former offenders have used successful approaches to avoid re-incarceration. The objective of this study was to investigate how these first-time former offenders desist from crime and avoid recidivism. This was a phenomenological study, utilizing the Desistance Theory as a framework, to explore how these men survived the consequences of post-incarceration and remained crime-free. In-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with six African American male first-time former offenders (age 25 and older) who were not on probation nor on parole in Georgia and South Carolina. These men had over 46 years and three months of prison time between them and, more importantly, a combined 89 years of dissenting from crime. Results showed that former offenders face multiple challenges, but some find ways to reinvent themselves as entrepreneurs, and desist from further crime. They are motivated by the freedom to live without the restrictions of a prison cell, and the ability to commune with family while taking advantage of the education and employment opportunities. They see themselves as ”returning citizens” rather than former offenders, and as a vital resource for other newly released former offenders wanting to start a new, crime-free life. Large scale studies are recommended to hopefully lead to new policies and programs designed to aid in the successful community transition of African American former offenders. This would represent a significant positive social change.

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