Pathways to Crime and Emerging Adulthood: Differences between Prison Inmates and Normative Young Adults in Israel

Abstract

The current study evaluates differences between inmates and normative young male adults based on the Pathways to Crime model. Research findings support the model’s assumptions, showing that inmate characteristics are consistent with the Life-Course Persistent (LCP) pathway, while the characteristics of the non-inmates are mostly consistent with the abstainers’ pathway. This investigation makes a theoretical contribution, demonstrating the model’s suitability for distinguishing between crime pathways among emerging adults. Also, emphasis is placed on emerging adulthood as an intermediate period on the path to adulthood, which can affect the evolution of crime pathways among at-risk populations.