Rehabilitation Plan and the Desistance Theory

Introduction

Rehabilitation refers to the act of restoring something to its original state. In the same context, criminal rehabilitation is a process where inmates are helped to grow and change hence allowing them to separate themselves from the environmental aspects which make them commit crime initially. The rehabilitation plan is aimed to produce strategy for rehabilitating Ryan Jones who is 17-year-old. He has been charged with an offence of burglary and recent anti-social behaviour. The plan is designed to ensure that, Ryan takes responsibility for his crimes, address offending/re-offending behaviour by assessing the risk and need of the individual child. The strategy is also aimed at solving personal problems that may have led to offending and rehabilitate the young offender to become a happy, healthy, productive, law-abiding member of society. To analyses the plan, this paper uses desistance theory which tries to explain the process in which an offender comes to live a crime-free life. Desistance theory is an approach which enhances better understandings of why and how individuals stop crime. It focuses on positive human development and change (Hearn. 2010). Besides, the theory also stresses the interplay between desistance social contexts as well as the personal aspects of the process.

The theory indicates that engaging an offender is regular employment assist the offender to focus his attention on activity which is more meaningful other than criminal actions. Besides, individual who are more aggressive may turn to games as a way of earning income as a catharsis act. From the rehabilitation plan, there is a course program which is expected to run weekly and consecutively for 6 to 8 weeks grouping cognition & lifestyle issues together. This process is undertaken to ensure that Ryan is always engaged. Besides, the program is aimed at enabling him to learn a better way of thinking. Running interventions consecutively have proven successful in stopping offending/re-offending (Hearn. 2010). The Desistance theory also reveals that an individual engages in crime since they lack other activities. For the case of Ryan, his stress are replaced by the regularity of learning. However, as per the theory, engaging an offender alone may not explain desistance from offending behaviour. Learning or learning satisfaction is an indicator that the offender will desist from crime. The theory also reveals that maturation, as well as maturity within the desistance, enable individuals to ‘grow out’ of crime naturally. Therefore, including a plan to engage, Ryan seems to be an effective way to rehabilitate him.

The theory also reveals that creating supportive and robust bonds with partners, positive peer groups, family etc. can assist with the process of desistance. Establishing such relationships provides a source of practical and emotional support for a person who is aiming to move away from crime (Plesnicar, 2015). The theorist argues that creating a positive relationship with workers is a critical part of a service user’s process of abstaining from wrongdoing. This process is reasonable since it enables an individual to gain a sense of accountability and personal loyalty, which will allow the end-user to achieve desistance. The plan involves a relationship with different individuals such as Youth workers who are aimed at assisting Ryan to build life skills so that he can make the right decisions for himself in the future. The youth workers also help him to develop healthy future relationships and keep him active in activities include sports, performing arts, music. Another relationship developed as per the plan is the link between social Services and Ryan. The plan also creates a link to mental health workers, supporting housing officer, school office manager, youth workers etc. The theory reveals that the established relationship creates new life priorities which remove a person's motivation to commit an offence. Also, the relationship between the offender and various individual reduce chances of re-offending. The relationship also enables an offender to feel accepted hence assisting them to reintegrate into the community (Plesnicar, 2015).Therefore, the creation of various relationship in the plan to help Ryan has been proven to be significant in preventing Ryan from offending/re-offending.

Desistance theory also reveals that social identity is very crucial to rehabilitating an offender.

Studies indicate that ex-offenders in society are treated as a constant risk (Hearn. 2010). Besides, it can take some years before an individual is proven to have been reformed after being an offender. This is an indication that any singe lousy behaviour can result in the individual being condemned as an offensive and bad individual (Paternoster et al., 2016). An offender living in society may have little hope of abstaining from criminal life in the long term. Furthermore, offenders with redemption scripts often seek out positive social identities. Therefore, creating a strategy which would help in the individual self-identity can increase support and acceptance from their wider community hence increasing the likelihood of long term desistance. The developed plan strategies for the creation of recreational youth clubs (Alex, 2012). This club and groups increase the identity of Ryan and enable the community to accept Ryan as a changed individual easily. As per the plan, Ryan is perceived to join a community youth football group running on a Saturday morning which will help him meet new friends and boost his self-esteem. Studies indicate that to desist from committing offences, ex-offenders requires to create a coherent as well as pro-social identity for themselves (Paternoster et al., 2016). Grouping and development of self-identity enable an ex-offender to generate a value of their lives and ‘make sense' out of their past lives. This is an indication that the plan is well structured and with its full adoption can result in effective rehabilitation of Ryan. Looking for further insights on Understanding Human Trafficking? Click here.

Conclusion

Rehabilitation is the act of restoring something to its original state. In the case of inmates, they are helped to grow and change, thus separating the offending individual from aspects which make them commit a crime. The plan created was aimed to help Ryan to rehabilitate. From the desistance theory, a rehabilitation plan should engage an ex-offender to a more meaningful activity other than criminal actions, create a relationship with the ex-offender as a source of practical and emotional support. The process also develops a sense of accountability and personal loyalty and enable the end-user to desist from crimes. Lastly, the theory ex-offender should be assisted in developing social identity. Grouping and development of self-identity enable empowers an individual to create a value of their lives and ‘make sense' out of their past lives. This indicates that the designed plan can be useful in helping Ryan to be a rehabilitated individual.

References

Hearn, N., 2010. Theory of desistance. Internet journal of Criminology, 1, pp.1-48.

Plesnicar, M.M., 2015. Why Do People Stop Offending: Recent Theories on Desistance and Their Value in Practical Approaches to Offenders. Zbornik Znanstvenih Razprav, 75, p.191.

Paternoster, R., Bachman, R., Kerrison, E., O’connell, D. and Smith, L., 2016. Desistance from crime and identity: An empirical test with survival time. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 43(9), pp.1204-1224.