Here are the key policy implications of social process theories according to the passage:
- Diversion programs are implemented to rehabilitate delinquents and deter further criminal behavior through rehabilitation.
- Restitution programs allow criminals to "give back" or make amends for their crimes, which can help discourage secondary deviance from developing.
- Primary deviance, or minor acts that do not result in a criminal identity, can potentially be deterred from continuing. However, social process theories recognize that once a criminal identity forms through secondary deviance, it is more difficult to change.
- The overall goal of policies influenced by social process theories is to intervene before a criminal identity is formed through secondary deviance in order to most