‘Giving back and getting on with my life’: Peer mentoring, desistance and recovery of ex-offenders

Abstract

Peer work and peer mentoring are dynamic social processes that have reciprocal benefits for both mentor and mentee in tackling issues around reoffending and substance misuse. Narratives of peer mentors and desistance were collected from probation peer mentors, Criminal Justice Drugs Team mentors and health trainers, to explore identity transformation and how the criminal justice system supports ex-offenders in desistance. Criminal justice practitioners were also interviewed to explore the importance of relational support networks. Themes that emerged from the research include the transformative potential of peer work and how peer workers can become role models for other offenders. Peer workers are ‘experts by experience’, using personal narratives of desistance to inspire hope in others. Influential criminal justice personnel are key to this process. Peer work can be the start of building a desisting identity, acting as a ‘hook for change’. Peer workers are given spaces within criminal justice organisations to work, which fosters a sense of purpose, belonging, trust and responsibility. Seeing ex-offenders from a strengths-based perspective is integral to supporting ex-offender transition. However, peer workers are inconsistently validated by criminal justice personnel, which can impede their desistance, placing them in a liminal position.

Survival stories as access to society. People with history of a crime as experts by experience

“…Experts by experience with a history of crime and substance abuse have important experiential knowledge about desistance from crime and substance abuse. Their personal experience-based information benefits professionals and peers alike (see Buck, 2017;Nixon, 2020b). In their new capacity as experts by experience, the ex-offenders and recovering substance abusers embodied exactly what is called for in the strategic talks of the criminal sanctions field.…”

Mentoring: Can you get too much of a ‘good thing’? Proposing enhancements to the ‘effectiveness framework’ the England and Wales Prison and Probation Service

“…The evidence for its effectiveness -despite its ubiquity and popularity among criminal justice policy makers and practitioners -remains mixed. Brown and Ross's (2010: 31) observation that mentoring is one of the least well-developed justice interventions theoretically and empirically still holds true, notwithstanding the welcome work of Buck (2018Buck ( , 2019; Nixon (2020) and others (HMPPS, 2019;Maguire et al, 2010Maguire et al, , 2019Taylor et al, 2013;Wadia and Parkinson, 2015). Is it possible to get too much of it?…”

“…the welcome work of Buck (2018Buck ( , 2019; Nixon (2020) and others (HMPPS, 2019;Maguire et al, 2010Maguire et al, , 2019Taylor et al, 2013;Wadia and Parkinson, 2015). Is it possible to get too much of it?…”

“…largely functional, aiming to evidence reduced reoffending rates ' (p. 191). Buck's (2018) own work has helped illuminate the micro-dynamics of the peer mentee-mentor relationship identifying the 'core conditions' of peer mentoring as caring, listening and setting manageable goals, supported by others such as Nixon (2020). Their work suggests that there are distinctions to be considered in the dynamics of the relationships between peer mentees and peer mentors based on shared experiences as distinct from the relationship between a mentee and non-peer mentor.…”

Noble Intent Is Not Enough To Run Veterans Court Mentoring Programs: A Qualitative Study of Mentors’ Role Orientation and Responsibilities

“…Despite several recent studies examining mentoring programs within criminal justice settings (Hanham & Tracey, 2017;Nixon, 2020;Singh et al, 2019), there is a dearth of information surrounding the structure, operation, and effectiveness of mentoring programs for justice-involved veterans. The limited research that does exist suggests that mentoring programs among incarcerated veterans provide similar support services and demonstrate reductions in recidivism post-release while embracing veteran culture (Schaffer, 2016).…”