The document summarizes desistance focused practices used in the Netherlands to promote crime-free lives. It discusses three examples: 1) COSA (Circles of Support and Accountability) which uses volunteer circles to provide social support and accountability for sex offenders to reduce recidivism. 2) "De Sluis" which provides housing and guidance for juvenile ex-prisoners using a desistance focused approach to strengthen competencies and social networks. 3) The importance of professionals in supporting the desistance process by building human and social capital through rehabilitation models and narrative identity work.

1. Desistance Focused Practice Dutch examples of promoting a crime-freelifeIAFMH Symposium 3.5| Barcelona | June 29, 2011, 14:30-15:45Lecturer-researchers: | Mechtild Höing |Ineke Heemskerk | Marie-José Geenen |Moderator – professor of probation services and safety policy:| Bas Vogelvang |Centre for Public Safety & CriminalJustice | Breda School of Social StudiesAvans University of Applied SciencesDen Bosch – The Netherlands

2. Avans lectorate“probation services and safetypolicy”Lectorates combine practice-driven research withboth professional development of universityteachers and curriculum improvement.“Pracademics of appliedsciences”In the Netherlands, > 480 lectorates are active in “expertise research networks”The Avans lectorate “probation services and safetypolicy” is partlyfundedby the Dutch probationorganizations1 professor, 10 teachers in research network, 15-20 projects, primarily in the Brabant regionTwo research themes: Desistance Focused Practice and Innovation & Implemententation in JusticeOrganizations

3. ProgrammeWhat is desistance from crime?Bas Vogelvang1. COSA – Circles of Support & AccountabilityMechtild Höing2. De Sluis – Desistance focused re-integration of juvenileex-prisonersIneke Heemskerk3. The significance of professionals in the process of desistance from crimeMarie-José GeenenQuestions & answers, conclusionsBas Vogelvang

4. What is desistance from crime? | Bas Vogelvang|

5. Desistance: a process, notan outcomeDecision:

6. “A criminallifeis no longer becoming of me, I want a different kind of life”

7. Maruna (2004): It is not a crime-free gap in time (primary desistance) , but the movement (process) from the behaviorof non-offending to the assumption of a roleoridentityof a non-offenderorcrime-freeperson(secondary desistance).

8. Looking back, the desister re-writes his own history: “That was not the real me”

9. Maruna (2004): It is a complex processinvolvingnotonly the offenderhimself, butalso the (interactionswith) judicialinstitutions, the social context and material / social-economicalconditions.

10. Vogelvang (2009): “Desistance: stayingawayfromcriminalbehaviourforanextendedperiod of time, related to bothaninner convictionand activeinvestmentby the ex-offender in hissocial and material context in order to reachprosocial goals, and to anactual, continuousreinforcement of these effortsby the ex-offender’ssocial context.”

11. Elements of makinggood: redemption, forgivingandmutualrestorationSonny Rollins’narrative‘My thing is mypersonhood and trying to be a betterperson and fightingthatfightwithinmyself’Desistance researchZig-zag process: relapse is to be expectedBoth a criminal life and choosing for desistance are part of a gambling process:“… leaving their present high risk and crime lifestyles is in itself a risk, and one they are ill equipped to take” (Boeck, Fleming & Kemshall 2007) 3 essential contributing factors (Weaver & McNeill 2007):human capitalnarrative identity & motivationssocial capital & life transitions

12. COSA:circles of support and accountability| Mechtild Höing|

13. Re-integration of sex–offendersa major problemfor society, professionals and the offenderCommunitycosts of recidivism are highClimate of fear, partlydue to lack of unbiasedinformationaboutrecidivismratesVersus long term risk of recidivismStrong negativecommunityreactions to release of sexoffendersPublic notification, pedophilehunters, tabloid pressStigmatisation and exclusion, leading to socialisolation and marginalizationLack of social monitoring  Reinforcment of key risk factors: socialisolation and emotionalloneliness

14. The COSA Modelno more victims – no more secretsOutercircleProfessionalsInner circleCore memberVolunteersBoth circlesCircle coördinator

15. COSA as Desistance Focused PracticeVolunteersimprovesocialcapitalbyproviding:surrogatesocialnetwork, transfer of skillspractical support

16. monitoring capacityVolunteersimprovehumancapitalby :supporting professional treatment goalsholding the core-memberaccountablemodellingbehaviour / intimaterelationshipsVolunteers support the development of a positiveidentity: bygivingmoral support

17. focusingonstrengths

18. focusingonrehabilitationCore members: who can join a circle?Inclusion criteria:

19. Adult sex offender who admits the offense

20. Medium/high risk of re-offending

21. Under a court supervision order (at least for 1 year)

22. High need for social support

23. Motivated to prevent new victims

24. Willing to share information with volunteers

25. Participating in treatment program

26. Exclusion criteria:

27. Reversion of inclusion criteria

28. Diagnosedpsychopath (e.g. high scores on PCL-R)

29. Complete denial of the offense

30. LearningdisabledVolunteers: whocanjoincircles? selection & exclusioncriteria

31. maturity, diversity, nocriminal record, ex-victimsallowed

32. selection procedure

33. includesan intensive and confronting training

34. supervision

35. circledynamics, booster training, stayingvigilant and healthy

36. safetyregulationsQuality management safeguarding model adherenceCode of Practice

37. Implementationguide

38. Communication Plan

39. Monitoring and evaluation tools

40. Audit

41. Research Effectiveness researchWilson c.s 2005: Pilot Ontario, 4.5 year follow-up