A new identity for a new beginning : desistance from crime by the process of informing
The main objective of this dissertation is to analyze and comprehend the phenomenon of desisting from crime by providing information to law-enforcement authorities. From this general purpose, specific objectives were of consideration. First, the focus is shifted towards the way an offender overcomes internal barriers and external stigma to eventually adhere to a pejorative label such as informant or snitch. Second, the emotional process at the source of one’s decision to turn away from crime and cooperate with the government is under study. Third, attention is placed on the implications and the consequences of justice collaboration on an offender’s ability to appeal to their new identity, as well as their tendency to maintain desistance from crime.    Inspired by a phenomenological approach, data collected for this master’s thesis was retrieved from literary works such as autobiographies and biographies written by and about self-proclaimed ex-offenders turned state informants. More precisely, the sample includes twelve (12) life-accounts. The data was extracted by using a coding sheet, constructed from In Vivo coding, emotion coding and descriptive coding.    Results show that the decision to cease criminal involvement by becoming an informant is based on a turning point. Identified turning points relate to an offender’s experience of a significant loss. Furthermore, unlike offenders who desist from crime through a different path, those who inform must manifest greater adaptability to their new prosocial identity, especially when under a witness protection program (WPP). Although some justified their cooperation by their maturation, their desire to do good or by the seduction of a new deviant challenge, informing did not prove to be an infallible way to sustain desistance. Indeed, while some were unable to internalize their new identity due to certain factors (e.g. new name, geographical relocation, solitude, unfulfilled needs by the WPP), others could not bear the ubiquitous stigma of being labelled an informant (and congruently, the fear of retaliation).   These findings provide insight on the emotional unfolding of desisting from crime by transitioning from offender to informant. It is hoped that a better acknowledgement of the phenomenon will encourage policy makers and government officials to improve informant-related procedures in order to reduce the risk of recidivism and thus better protect society.
crime informants identity phenomenology desistance crime labelling emotional process