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Abstract

In life course criminology, turning points and how they relate to the desistance process have received considerable attention. Scholars have proposed that significant events in people's lives, such as employment, marriage, and parenthood, strengthen their social ties and cause them to refrain from committing crimes. This study uses data from the Record Clearance Project of San Jose State University to identify concrete, significant "turning points" in the lives of ex-offenders. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate specific "turning points" events in offenders' life courses that compelled them to stop anti-social behavior and develop a pro-social identity, as well as the effects of formal and informal interventions on their lives. A qualitative content analysis was adopted to serve the purpose of this study. The study used inductive techniques to improve knowledge about the phenomenon. The study sample consists of qualitative, in-depth interviews drawn from criminal conviction expungement petitions submitted by San Jose State University's Record Clearance Project (RCP) clients. The sample size includes 15 (10 male and 5 female) RCP clients. In this paper, the significance of various turning points was defined, and their importance was established as a central concept in the study of lives. It is identified that the cost-benefit analysis of delinquent versus positive identity is the first step towards the process of desistance; the positive effect of the criminal justice system and the importance of social ties are also highlighted in the study. This is one of the first studies to examine the proper balance of formal and informal intervention in offenders' lives and how both institutions can act as a solid social support system and assist people in successfully reintegrating into society.

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