Lifelines

Abstract

This paper draws on the life stories of a friendship group of men in their 40s who offended together in their youth and early adulthood. By exploring these interrelated narratives, we reveal individual, relational and structural contributions to the desistance process, drawing on Donati"s (2011) relational sociology. In examining these men"s social relations, this paper demonstrates the central role of friendship groups, intimate relationships, families of formation, employment and religious communities in change over the life course. It shows how, for different individuals, these relations triggered reflexive evaluation of their priorities, behaviours and lifestyles but with differing results. However, despite these differences, the common theme of these distinct stories is that desistance from crime was a means of realising and maintaining the men"s individual and relational concerns, with which continued offending became (sometimes incrementally) incompatible. In the concluding discussion, we explore some of the ethical implications of these findings, suggesting that work to support desistance should extend far beyond the typically individualised concerns of correctional practice and into a deeper and inescapably moral engagement with the (re)connection of the individual to social networks that are restorative and allow people to fulfil the reciprocal obligations on which networks and communities depend.

Restoring identity: The use of religion as a mechanism to transition between an identity of sexual offending to a non-offending identity

“…Yet other factors are at play in the process of reintegration and in the absence of an integrated theory of rehabilitation, we must draw on what is already known in the desistance and rehabilitation literature. We know for example that the process of desistance includes: an ageing out or maturation effect (Sampson and Laub, 2005); the requirement of meaningful social bonds and institutional affiliation (Giordano, et al, 2008;Weaver and McNeill, 2015); narrative and social identity transformation (Maruna, 2001); the promotion of human goods and development of good life plans (Ward and Stewart, 2003); while avoiding risks and addressing needs (Bonta and Andrews, 2007). Outside of the maturation effect, each of these domains featured to some degree in participants accounts in this study.…”

“…This is of cause a concern, because the literature clearly indicates that to help people move to a more desistance motivated stance, positive social bonds must be established and maintained (Weaver & McNeill, 2015). It was only Stuart (who had not experienced imprisonment) who was able to re-gain access into a religious community where he reported the benefits of developing new social bonds.…”

“…For those few who do have family or friends, registration or notification requirements can impede opportunities for relationships to be maintained (Levenson & Cotter, 2005). This in turn jeopardizes opportunities to engage in a process of desistance of which the establishment and maintenance of meaningful relationships is crucial (Weaver & McNeill, 2015).…”

The Electronic Monitoring of Offenders in Context: From Policy to Political Logics

“…Compliance is integrated with "desistance" (The Scottish Government 2013b: 9, 2016a: 4)-with the offender's process of changing behavior over time to avoid further criminal involvement, mainly by increasing prosocial capital (Farrall and Calverley 2006;Maruna 2001;Weaver and McNeill 2014). EM's rehabilitative potential was emphasized in policy by the Scotland's Choice Report (The Scottish Prisons Commission 2008: 55), which assigned to EM the goal "to re-integrate an offender back into the community and to continue the rehabilitation process after a period in custody."…”

Supporting Desistance Through Ambiguous Practice: What Can Be Learned From the First Prison-Based Model of CoSA in England and Wales?

“…These qualities support any internal motivation to change within the Core Member and provide a safe place for their new pro-social identity to be developed. Weaver and McNeill's (2015) argued, from their research involving repeat offenders and the exploration of social relationships, that it is the sense of belonging and social bonds that can encourage change within an individual and a shift towards desistance.…”