Reintegration and Desistance among Former Young Offenders in Ghana: Key Factors for Success

This article examines the mechanisms that enable some young ex-offenders successfully desist from crime while others reoffend in Ghana’s context of challenging socioeconomic conditions and limited institutional support. Using desistance theory and interviews with former young offenders, it finds that personal agency and social support, particularly from supportive actors, are key to successful reintegration. Support that addresses offenders’ needs and enables them to pursue conventional goals, such as education and employment, fosters reform. This study informs both theory and practice in criminology by providing a nuanced understanding of the factors and processes that differentiate pathways to desistance.