Abstract
What is desistance? What is reentry? For a prosecutor, desistance may be all about evaluating the likelihood of recidivism; reentry may be about maintaining safety and security for the community. For someone coming out of prison, desistance may be about individual choices; reentry may be about the recreation of a way of life no longer defined by the institution.
This event brings together Jennifer Ritchie, a Seattle-based prosecutor with decades of experience, and Youssef Rhnima, a French sociologist who carried out his studies during his incarceration. Their conversation opens up challenging contrasts between how these concepts look differently in France and in the U.S., from juridical and sociological perspectives, and from points of view emerging from radically different life trajectories.
