Assisted desistance: a channel for social and community integration among serious or persistent young offenders
Reconciling the legal and clinical objectives of criminal justice sanctions is a major challenge in dealing with serious or persistent young offenders (SPO). This article presents the results of a study that used an assisted desistance perspective to look at factors that favor or hinder cessation of criminal behavior and the adoption of new social roles as well as, where applicable, changes in identity in SPO under correctional supervision. The study is based on the qualitative analysis of chronological notes in the case files of 26 SPO under intermediate sanctions in the province of Quebec who showed signs of interest in desistance. The results suggest that intervention practices can contribute to the development of the personal and social resources these adolescents need to identify, access, and use opportunities for change and, ultimately, succeed in their efforts at desistance.