Contrary to maternal beliefs of poor professional understanding, professionals had a clear perception of influences affecting early milk feeding choice. Further resources and recognition are needed for healthcare professionals working with new mothers to enable them to offer increased support, with the aim of increasing breastfeeding duration.

The article considers current developments in the 'resettlement' of prisoners in the light of recent theory and research on factors promoting desistance from crime. While recognizing improvements promised by the Reducing Re-offending National Action Plan and the concept of 'end-to-end' offender management, it is argued that these are unlikely to reduce re-offending significantly without greater attention to individual offenders' mental processes and levels of selfmotivation, which are identified by the desistance literature (as well as much of the 'what works' literature) as critical factors in personal change. An account is given of a promising approach adopted in the 'Resettlement Pathfinders', where a cognitive-motivational programme was combined with practical services, with encouraging early results. However, concerns are expressed that even the most innovative approaches may be undermined by features of the broader context within which correctional services are delivered, including an excessive emphasis on enforcement (which makes no allowance for the 'zigzag' nature of desistance) and the potentially negative impact of 'contestability' on relational continuity.

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