The Relational Context of Desistance: Some Implications and Opportunities for Social Policy

Recovery and desistance: what the emerging recovery movement in the alcohol and drug area can learn from models of desistance from offending

“…This idea of a social identity for sustainable change has also been proposed in terms of desistance theory by Weaver (2012). In discussing the desistance of a cohort of lifelong friends, Weaver introduces Donati's (2011) relational theory of reflexivity to discuss how changes in network norms and values can change both the group and its members in terms of their values, norms and behaviours.…”

Desistance and restorative justice: it’s now or never

“…Likewise, desistance research, from its origins, seeks to understand desistance as a process of community reintegration, a two-way street between individuals and the wider community (see esp. McNeill, 2006;Weaver, 2012). Both understand crime like all human activity to be enmeshed in social networks and relationships, not the result of bad choices of atomised individuals (see esp.…”

Building Bridges to the Community: the Kirkham Family Connectors (KFC) Prison Programme

“…Recovery is a process characterised by the development of a recovery identity, resulting in part from an increase in social connectedness and changes in social network composition (Bathish et al 2017). The research around desistance from offending has also described this as a journey towards social inclusion characterised by identity change, achieved when the ex-offender is fully involved and accepted into the community, and involves a complex interplay of both internal and external change (Farrall, Bottoms and Shapland 2010;Healy 2012;Weaver 2012). As such, recovery from addiction and desistance from crime are both socially mediated processes, requiring social supports that focus on building personal strengths and resources while encouraging engagement with the wider community (Pillay, Best and Lubman 2014).…”