Open AccessThe Role of Marriage and Military Service on Reoffending: Race, “The Respectability Package,” and the Desistance Process
Author(s) -
Wendi L. Johnson,
Peggy C. Giordano
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
armed forces and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.583
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1556-0848
pISSN - 0095-327X
DOI - 10.1177/0095327x20905124
Subject(s) - odds , military service , context (archaeology) , race (biology) , logistic regression , psychology , criminology , odds ratio , white (mutation) , military personnel , service (business) , longitudinal study , suicide prevention , black male , demography , poison control , gerontology , social psychology , medicine , political science , sociology , gender studies , medical emergency , law , geography , business , biochemistry , chemistry , archaeology , pathology , marketing , gene
We build on prior research examining military involvement and criminal involvement by investigating the importance of acquiring the more complete "respectability package" that includes marriage as well as military experience and variations among White and Black respondents. Using data from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; n = 5,801), analyses use logistic regression models to assess associations of military service, marriage, and race with odds of reoffending among White and Black young adults who reported offending at Wave I. Military involvement was associated with lower odds of offending for Black respondents only, while marriage was associated with decreased odds of reoffending across both groups. Among Black respondents, analyses also highlighted the importance of acquiring both components of the respectability package (military service and marriage) in the context of today's all-volunteer force in reducing criminal involvement.