1st Step News

Habilitation, Not Just Rehabilitation: A New Approach to Justice for Male Offenders

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 03:57:01 GMT

When young men enter the justice system, traditional rehabilitation often assumes they are returning to something—an earlier, healthier version of themselves. But what if that version never existed?

In our newest research paper, the 1st Step Male Diversion Program team challenges this core assumption. Drawing on extensive experience and compelling program outcomes, the paper makes a powerful case for habilitation—the process of building life skills, values, and habits for the first time—as a more effective framework for justice-involved youth and emerging adults.

This paper explores:

Why many young offenders need habilitation, not rehabilitation
Many program participants never had the opportunity to learn basic emotional regulation, healthy decision-making, or job readiness skills. They need to build, not just rebuild.
How habilitation addresses the root causes of criminal behavior
The 1st Step model provides structured support, life skills training, therapy, education, and job placement to help young men forge new identities and futures.
Real outcomes and lasting impact
With a 92% success rate and more than $3.3 million in taxpayer savings, 1st Step demonstrates how habilitative diversion can break cycles of incarceration and restore communities—one life at a time.

This isn’t just theory—it’s a proven model reshaping lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and offering a roadmap for criminal justice reform nationwide.

If you believe in solutions that build lasting change—not just temporary relief—we invite you to read the full paper and join us in supporting a smarter, more compassionate approach to justice.

Predicting the Unpredictable: Using Research to Strengthen Diversion Program Outcomes

Fri, 30 May 2025 17:29:18 GMT

Diversion programs are often seen as a hopeful alternative to incarceration, especially for nonviolent offenders, but determining who is most likely to succeed in these programs remains a challenge. At 1st Step Male Diversion Program, we’ve been asking an important question since launching in 2016: Can we better predict who will benefit from a structured, court-ordered habilitation program?

In our latest research paper, Predicting the Unpredictable: Assessing Diversion Program Success for Criminal Defense Attorneys , our team explores the data behind that question. Drawing on nearly a decade of firsthand experience and outcomes, we evaluate the three key assessments used at intake—ORAS (Ohio Risk Assessment System), the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Questionnaire, and a clinical biopsychosocial interview—to determine their effectiveness in predicting program success.

The findings offer critical insight for defense attorneys, judges, and diversion program advocates:

Moderate-risk clients performed best. Contrary to expectations, participants categorized as “Moderate Risk” by ORAS had the highest predicted success rates, not the lowest-risk group.
Trauma history is meaningful, but not predictive alone. While ACE scores provide essential context, they don’t independently determine outcomes.
Engagement and support systems matter most. The most consistent predictors of success came from qualitative clinical reviews. Clients who accepted help, maintained routines, and had meaningful family or peer support were more likely to succeed.

This paper underscores what many in the criminal justice reform community already know: success in diversion programs isn’t about a single number. It’s about the whole person. And when we take the time to look beyond the file, at the story, the support, and the individual's willingness to change, we improve the odds of lasting impact.

We invite you to read the full paper and consider how this research can inform your support for diversion as a viable, effective solution in our justice system.

Structure, Form, and Neurophysiology in Criminal Desistance

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 18:37:57 GMT

Introduction

As an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, I became interested in experimental functional morphology, particularly the effects of soft tissue functionality on hard tissue structures. Recently, it occurred to me that principles of functionality are apparent in sociology, particularly in criminal desistance. Criminal desistance, the process through which individuals cease engaging in criminal behavior, has garnered significant interest in criminology, psychology, and neurophysiology. Understanding the structural and formational elements of desistance and their neurophysiological underpinnings can provide insights into the mechanisms that facilitate this complex process.

Criminal Desistance: An Overview

Criminal desistance is a multifaceted process influenced by various factors, including social structures, individual agency, and biological underpinnings. While traditional criminological theories have emphasized the role of social and environmental factors, recent advances in neurophysiology offer new perspectives on how brain structures and functions may influence an individual's propensity to desist from crime. This paper aims to integrate these perspectives, providing a comprehensive understanding of the structural, formational, and neurophysiological aspects of criminal desistance.

Desistance has two forms of structure: social and physiological.

Structure and Its Role in Criminal Desistance

Social Structure and Environmental Influences

Social structure refers to the organized patterns of relationships and institutions that shape an individual's behavior and opportunities. Key structural factors influencing criminal desistance include:

Family and Social Bonds: Strong, supportive relationships with family members and prosocial peers are critical for desistance. Positive social bonds provide emotional support, guidance, and a sense of belonging, which can deter individuals from returning to criminal activities ( Laub & Sampson, 2001 ).
Employment and Education: Access to stable employment and educational opportunities can enhance self-efficacy and provide legitimate means for achieving personal goals. These opportunities help individuals build a positive identity and reduce reliance on criminal activities for economic survival (Uggen, 2000).
Community and Environmental Context: Living in a supportive and resource-rich community can facilitate desistance by providing access to services, reducing exposure to criminogenic influences, and fostering a sense of community cohesion and safety (Kubrin & Weitzer, 2003).

Physiological Structure

We know that both genetic and biological factors can influence human behaviors. Neurodevelopmental research indicates that social interactions with peers, authorities, and influencers are crucial in shaping neural pathways in the brain's prefrontal cortex that promote moral decision-making (Welborn et al., 2016).

Form: Individual Agency and Identity in Criminal Desistance

Form refers to the individual's capacity for agency, self-concept, and identity transformation. Critical aspects of form that influence criminal desistance include:

Cognitive Transformation: Desistance often involves a cognitive shift in how individuals perceive themselves and their futures. This shift may include adopting a non-offender identity, reevaluating past behaviors, and setting new life goals (Giordano, Cernkovich, & Rudolph, 2002).
Motivation and Intentionality: The decision to desist from crime is often driven by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Personal aspirations, the desire for a better life, and external pressures (such as legal consequences or family expectations) can all play a role in fostering desistance (Maruna, 2001).
Self-Control and Decision-Making: Enhanced self-control and improved decision-making skills are crucial for maintaining desistance. These skills enable individuals to resist temptations, manage stress, and make choices aligned with their long-term goals (Moffitt, 1993).

Neurophysiology: Biological Underpinnings of Desistance

Advances in neurophysiology provide insights into how brain structures and functions may influence criminal behavior and desistance. Key neurophysiological factors include:

Prefrontal Cortex Functioning: The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in executive functions, such as impulse control, planning, and decision-making. Enhanced PFC functioning is associated with better self-control and resisting criminal impulses (Raine, 2013).
Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation: Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. Rehabilitation programs that promote cognitive-behavioral changes can harness neuroplasticity to facilitate desistance by strengthening neural pathways associated with prosocial behaviors (Davidson & McEwen, 2012).
Neurochemical Influences: Neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, play a role in regulating mood, motivation, and behavior. Imbalances in these neurochemicals can contribute to impulsivity and aggression, whereas therapeutic interventions that address these imbalances may support desistance (Buckholtz & Meyer-Lindenberg, 2012).

Integrative Framework for Understanding Criminal Desistance

To understand criminal desistance comprehensively, it is essential to integrate the structural, formational, and neurophysiological perspectives. An integrative framework highlights the dynamic interplay between social environments, individual agency, and biological factors:

Interaction between Structure and Form: Social structures can shape individual agency by providing opportunities and constraints. Conversely, individuals can influence their environments through their actions and decisions. For example, securing stable employment (a structural factor) can enhance self-efficacy and identity transformation (formational factors), which in turn supports desistance (Sampson & Laub, 1993).
Neurophysiological Mediators: Neurophysiological factors can mediate the relationship between social structures and individual agency. For instance, improved prefrontal cortex functioning may enhance decision-making skills, enabling individuals to take advantage of social opportunities and resist criminogenic influences (Piquero, 2008).
Feedback Loops: Desistance is a dynamic process with feedback loops. Positive changes in one domain (e.g., securing employment) can lead to improvements in other domains (e.g., cognitive transformation), creating a reinforcing cycle that supports long-term desistance (Laub & Sampson, 2001).

Conclusion

Criminal desistance is a complex process influenced by social structures, individual forms, and neurophysiological factors. By integrating these perspectives, we can develop a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that facilitate desistance. This integrative approach can inform the design of more effective interventions and policies to support individuals in their journey away from crime.

References

Buckholtz, J. W., & Meyer-Lindenberg, A. (2012). MAOA and the neurogenetic architecture of human aggression. Trends in Neurosciences, 35(1), 17-27.

Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689-695.

Giordano, P. C., Cernkovich, S. A., & Rudolph, J. L. (2002). Gender, crime, and desistance: Toward a theory of cognitive transformation. American Journal of Sociology, 107(4), 990-1064.

Kubrin, C. E., & Weitzer, R. (2003). New directions in social disorganization theory. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 40(4), 374-402.

Laub, J. H., & Sampson, R. J. (2001). Understanding desistance from crime. Crime and Justice, 28, 1-69.

Maruna, S. (2001). Making good: How ex-convicts reform and rebuild their lives. American Psychological Association.

Moffitt, T. E. (1993). Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100(4), 674-701.

Piquero, A. R. (2008). Taking stock of developmental trajectories of criminal activity over the life course. In The long view of crime: A synthesis of longitudinal research (pp. 23-78). Springer, New York, NY.

Raine, A. (2013). The anatomy of violence: The biological roots of crime. Pantheon Books.

Sampson, R. J., & Laub, J. H. (1993). Crime in the making: Pathways and turning points through life. Harvard University Press.

Uggen, C. (2000). Work as a turning point in the life course of criminals: A duration model of age, employment, and recidivism. American Sociological Review, 65(4), 529-546.

Welborn, B. L., Lieberman, M. D., Goldenberg, D., Fuligni, A. J., Galván, A., & Telzer, E. H. (2016). Neural mechanisms of social influence in adolescence. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(1), 100-109. Doi: 10.1093/scan/nsv095. Epub 2015 Jul 21. PMID: 26203050; PMCID: PMC4692320.

Exploring Desistance Theory in the Context of the 1st Step Male Diversion Program: A Pathway to Habilitation and Reintegration

dphillips@1ststepmdp.com (David Phillips) — Wed, 22 May 2024 16:41:51 GMT

At the forefront of criminal justice reform, the 1st Step Male Diversion Program continues to make significant strides in habilitation and reintegration for its participants. Recently, a new research paper titled "Exploring Desistance Theory in the Context of the 1st Step Male Diversion Program: A Pathway to Habilitation and Reintegration" has been released, shedding light on the profound impacts of our program through the lens of Desistance Theory.

Understanding Desistance Theory

Desistance Theory provides a framework for understanding how individuals cease engaging in criminal behavior over time. Traditionally, studies in this field, such as those by Farrall et al. (2014) and Sampson & Laub (1993), have taken a passive approach, observing individuals without any direct intervention. However, this new paper challenges that notion by exploring how structured programs, like the 1st Step Male Diversion Program, actively contribute to the desistance process.

Key Findings of the Paper

This paper critically examines how our program aligns with and diverges from traditional Desistance Theory. The research highlights several pivotal insights:

Active Intervention: Unlike traditional studies, our program involves proactive measures to aid participants in their journey towards desistance.
Habilitation and Reintegration: The program effectively facilitates the habilitation (the development of new skills and behaviors) and reintegration of participants into society.
Programmatic Structures: Specific structures within our program serve as catalysts for positive change, offering replicable features for similar initiatives nationwide and abroad.
Challenges and Tensions: The paper also identifies areas of tension between classical desistance theories and our program’s methodologies, providing a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved.

Implications for Future Programs

This research underscores the potential of structured diversion programs to significantly alter the trajectories of individuals involved in the criminal justice system. By leveraging the principles of Desistance Theory, programs like ours can more effectively promote long-term positive outcomes for participants, suggesting a valuable model for other jurisdictions seeking to implement or refine their own diversion strategies.

We invite you to download the full paper to fully digest the findings and implications of this important research. Learn how the 1st Step Male Diversion Program is making a difference and explore the potential applications of Desistance Theory in practical, programmatic contexts.

ARPA Funding Passed Legislation

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 21:58:52 GMT

First Step Male Diversion Program was approved by the joint committee, both Tuesday and previously, – $300,000 towards a $1.1 million facility to help house those currently going through the diversion program. Joint committee advances dozens of ARPA proposals to Legislature OKLAHOMA CITY – The Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding on Tuesday advanced a comprehensive slate of projects to the full Legislature for consideration in an upcoming special session. The committee’s approvals, combined with previously approved projects, resulted in recommendation of over 60 projects totaling nearly all of Oklahoma state government’s $1.87 billion share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Ultimately, the committee recommended proceeding with projects totaling about 10% of the $18 billion in requests contained in more than 1,400 submissions made through a public portal that was open from fall 2021 to March 2022. For more than a year, subject matter working groups evaluated proposals by eligibility under federal law and priorities established by the joint committee in 2021. All working group recommendations were advanced by joint committee to the full legislature.

“I am proud of the work that was done by all stakeholders during this lengthy process as the joint committee has recommended over 60 projects, out of over 1,400, for consideration by the Legislature,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. “It is my hope that the results of this process will provide a benefit to our state for generations to come.”

Program areas and specific projects approved by the joint committee will now be placed into appropriations bills for consideration when the Legislature reconvenes the Second Extraordinary Session of the 58th Oklahoma Legislature, which was called for the purpose of evaluating ARPA projects advanced by the joint committee and matters of statewide economic development.

Tulsa World: Finding the 'I' in Teams Embraces Possibilities to Learn

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 21:31:29 GMT

This article highlights 1st Step Male Diversion Program as a now-thriving former Innovation Grant participant. Executive Director David Phillips along with board member and retired district judge Bill Kellough share the results of the work with a group of funders, highlighting 1st Step’s record of success. Read the Full Story

Opinion: Studying Criminal Justice Issues

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 21:32:27 GMT

Senator Bill Coleman — On Wednesday, we examined problems facing offenders as they re-enter society, with the two biggest obstacles being securing housing and employment. For many, as some of our speakers attested to, getting out of prison and having to be independent and start their life over is more frightening than going into or being in prison. They don’t want to have to return to a life of crime, but it can be a difficult transition.

Fortunately, DOC wants to ensure that these individuals have the tools they need to successfully reenter society and not return to prison. We learned about the J.H. Lilley Correctional Center (JLCC) Resource Fair where numerous community partners come together to share what resources they offer to help individuals successfully re-enter society, from getting a job to finding mental health support.

We also heard about Tulsa’s 1st Step Male Diversion Program, which helps stop the school to prison pipeline in Oklahoma for young men by providing necessary survival skills and services, facilitating the need for career opportunities, and instilling positive behavior change for lifetime success. This program saved Oklahoma taxpayers $3.3 million from 2017–2020 and delivered a 92% success rate, relieving our overcrowded prisons, reducing recidivism, and changing lives for the better.

Tulsa People Feature: Stepping up

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 15:49:28 GMT

Prison diversion program offers young men a different future

Last year, Miguel Chavez was facing a minimum two-year sentence for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. With the threat of prison time looming, he was living day-to-day with little hope for the future. But a new program helping young men avoid incarceration has given Chavez and others something they never expected—a second chance.

Chavez was one of three recent inaugural graduates of the Tulsa-based First Step Male Diversion Program, which launched in 2016 with the goal of ending the “school-to-prison pipeline” for young men in Oklahoma aged 18 to 25. He now plans to return to school and become an architect.

“Probably the most important thing I was taught was to always have a dream,” he said to a room of spectators at the Tulsa County District Courthouse. “Without a dream, you have no vision. Without any vision, you have no goals. Without any goals, you have no motivation. Motivation is the key to being successful.”

A February study from Workforce Tulsa and The University of Tulsa College of Law’s Lobeck Taylor Community Advocacy Clinic found that justice-involved individuals face major barriers to finding jobs. Obstacles include employer discrimination, complex expungement practices, occupational licensing regulations, excessive wage garnishment for child support, fees and fines related to incarceration, and barriers to housing.

Tulsa’s Women in Recovery program has helped divert women from prison since 2009, in response to Oklahoma’s record-setting female incarceration rate. But now that the state has overtaken Louisiana as the country’s leading incarcerator of men as well—with a combined incarceration rate higher than anywhere else in the world—the need for a similar program for men became clearer than ever.

D uring his 15-year career as a public defender, David Philips—now executive director of First Step—wondered why this need wasn’t being met. “I had seen the birth of the Women in Recovery program … [and] my question was, ‘Why aren’t they doing this for men?’”

Men are incarcerated at eight times the rate of women in Oklahoma, Phillips noted, and 30 to 40 percent of the young men in the First Step program are fathers. “One thing that the criminal justice system has done is that it’s broken up the nuclear family, so we have an intergenerational problem of crime,” he said. “We need to attack this problem from [all] genders.”

When it became clear that a program for men wasn’t going to materialize on its own, Phillips got together with people in the community from the rehabilitation arena, as well parenting groups, district attorneys, and others—including retired Tulsa County Judge Bill Kellough, who now serves as president.

“We began talking about it for about a year, just planning how and what we needed to do and what we needed to incorporate,” Phillips said.

In July 2017, the first young men were placed in the program. Today there are eight enrollees, and Phillips expects it to continue to grow. By the end of the year, he hopes to have 20 to 25 participants in the program, which focuses on men convicted for non-violent crimes who are at a high risk to re-offend. Phillips said each person completes the track at their own pace, over the course of about 12 to 18 months. “It really depends on the individual,” he said.

The program, which relies on the income of private donations, is cheaper than sending someone to prison. It costs about $20,000 to house someone in prison for a year, while the diversion program costs around $18,000 per individual, according to Phillips.

“We believe we make a better person at the end of the process, whereas a person coming out of the penitentiary doesn’t have any of the skills or mechanisms where they can cope with the life they are being thrown back into,” he said.

There are four phases to the program: stabilization, engagement, maintenance, and re-entry or transition. Throughout the program, the men focus on sober living, therapy, working, job skills and training, and parenting and life skills. "By the time they hit phase two or phase three, we are hoping they are employed full-time on a trajectory for some sort of career," Phillips said.

For graduates like Miguel Chavez, this means possibilities for the future which once seemed out of reach. Chavez is excited about what lies ahead after graduating from the First Step Male Diversion Program. “It’s changed my life around,” he said. “It’s taught me what it means to be healthy, both mentally and physically. It helped me to see who I really am as a person.”

1st Step Male Diversion Program to hold panel discussion on Criminal Justice Reform Autopsy: One Year After

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 14:41:34 GMT

TULSA, Okla. — It has been one year since the enactment of the criminal justice reform bill in Oklahoma. It is time to look at the effects that these reforms have had in the past year and what the future holds. The court and organizations interested in criminal justice reform are implementing that bill.

Please join us at a panel discussion covering criminal justice reforms of the last year: Are they working, where have there been issues, and what does the future hold?

Panelists include District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, Judge Sharon Holmes, Dr. Ronald Thrasher, Kris Steele, Beverly Atteberry, and others.

The panel will be moderated by David Blatt – former Executive Director of OK Policy Institute and David Phillips – Executive Director of 1 ^st Step Male Diversion Program.

The panel will be held on November 14, 2019, at Centenary United Methodist Church at 6:30 pm.

We encourage community members, public officials, and media to come and hear the lessons learned and to discuss the path forward as we continue working towards criminal justice reform in Oklahoma.

The Black Wall Street Times Feature: First-Step Male Diversion Program announces first graduating class

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 15:30:46 GMT

TULSA, Okla. — The first graduation of the 1 ^st Step Male Diversion Program will be held on February 21, 2019, at 11 am in Courtroom 406 of the Tulsa County Courthouse.

Mr. Justin Cathey, Mr. Christopher Davis, and Mr. Miguel Chavez have completed all requirements for the 1 ^st Step Male Diversion Program including full-time employment, individual and group therapy, sobriety, and compliance with supervision.

These young men will be leaving our program with a strong foundation allowing them to continue in their futures as involved citizens in the community. Each young man is stepping into a future they and their families can be proud of.

Each has had a different journey, but each has found success. Mr. Cathey was entrapped in addiction and criminal behavior. Now he is employed full-time, raising a daughter on his own, and as he says, “I have learned to live, not just survive.”

Mr. Christopher Davis is a hardworking father who got caught up with a drug that threatened to send him to prison. Now he has new skills that led to a better paying full time job and is creating a healthy and successful life with his kids and partner. Mr. Davis says the program “was a blessing. It’s a great program to be in as it has a lot of people who not only want to help but care for you and helping you be a better person.”

Mr. Miguel Chavez is headed to drafting school in August at Tulsa Tech and currently working a full time job. Before he came into the program, he was caught up in the idea of easy money and that idea threatened to send him to prison. Mr. Chavez says the program gave him “hope to turn his life around. I now have a vision for the future.”

2 Works for You Feature Video

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 15:16:28 GMT

1st Step Male Diversion Program was featured on Channel 2.

Watch the Video.

First Step Male Diversion Program hopes to break the prison cycle

It’s a scary number—Oklahoma leading the country with the highest prison populations.

One group fixing the problem in Tulsa is about to graduate its first class.

This program specifically targets men from 18-25.

It’s called the ‘First Step Male Diversion Program’ and hopes to break the prison cycle.

The program was founded by former public defender David Phillips, the late Rob Nigh and retired Tulsa County District Judge Willaim Kellough.

Phillips said the program lasts just over a year and focuses on drug treatment, therapy and safe housing for offenders.

"One thing that this program has shown in the year that we have operated in is that if an individual stays in our program their chances of reoffending drop about 40%,” said Phillips.

T here's about 12 people in the program.

The first three are expected to graduate in February.

Tulsa World: Male diversion program helps those often recently released from jail

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 12:46:57 GMT

1st Step Male Diversion Program and Board President, David Phillips was featured in this article by Ralph Schaefer for the Tulsa Business & Legal News. Read the full article.