Live and Learn. Analysing offending behaviour programmes in Flanders from a desistance perspective
In 2022, the intervention known as “learning sanction” was replaced with “offending behaviour programmes” in Flanders. This reform is part of a broader policy objective aimed at “increasing the accessibility of aid and services for non-detained offenders”. Through a policy analysis of the Flemish
Government’s approach and an international literature review, this article provides an overview of the
presumed functioning of the offending behaviour programmes and assesses the extent to which these
presumptions are scientifically substantiated. It specifically examines the underlying theory of change
of the behavioral training by comparing it with theoretical insights on desistance.