A 2,000 report exploring and critically analysing the complex needs of Essay

A 2,000 report exploring and critically analysing the complex needs of offenders and rehabilitative practices which promote desistance - Essay Example These may include substance abuse problems, unemployment or financial problems, difficult family backgrounds, homelessness, or even psychiatrist problems. It is important for the institutions management to acknowledge that these factors are interlinked in most cases and will vary mostly along age and gender lines (David 2004; Warr 2002). Theoretical evidence affirms that a combination of individual and social factors can be linked to an increased probability of reoffending and should be routinely reassessed. Also referred to as ‘criminogenic’ needs, they can be attributed to certain types of crime. For example, heroin use is closely linked with shoplifting and other acquisitive offending while alcohol binge drinking is often associated with violence and other petty crimes. These factors can be further classified into static or dynamic. Factors such as employment, drug misuse, or education are subject to change and are thus, classified under dynamic while strong predictor s of reoffending such as gender, age, or criminal history are static. So, what helps individuals stay away from crime? Maruna et al (2008) propose that desistance can only work out if the complex needs of the offenders are met. As such, there is a strong correlation between the social or external aspects of an offender’s life (such as the support of those around them), as well as, the psychological or internal (what they subscribe to and what they want to achieve with their lives) and relapsing or desisting. Factors that might work in favour of desistance are such as: i) Family and relationships: studies have suggested that establishing supportive bonds with spouse or family members appears to boost chances of desisting from crime on condition that the family members are not involved in crime or substance abuse themselves. These good relationships are crucial to recidivism owing to a number of reasons. First, they minimise the amount of time and interactions spent with