Accepting deviant identities: the impact of self-labeling on intentions to desist from crime

Although the effects of official labeling on delinquency have been explored extensively in past research, the way in which offenders apply labels to themselves, and the impact such labeling has on desistance, has received relatively little attention among researchers. Further, most of the research on the relationship between self-labeling and desistance is qualitative in nature. Although some quantitative researchers have explored this area, limitations to these studies still exist. To extend research in this area, a quantitative examination of self-labeling is conducted based on data from a survey of incarcerated felons. This quantitative study explores inmates’ identities and how such identities relate to their intentions to desist from crime. Findings from the current study supplement previous qualitative studies and suggest that a sizeable proportion of inmates identify as having a ‘straight’ or conventional label, despite their criminal behavior. Further, the specific labels inmates in the study identify with appear to have direct consequences on their intentions to desist after release. Implications for theory, policy, and future research are discussed.