Movements towards desistance via peer-support roles in prison

Several peer-support programmes (schemes) are currently operating in UK prisons. Via these schemes, prisoners are able to access support for issues ranging from emotional distress and addiction problems to practical and educational needs. Although these schemes have existed in prisons for decades, research focussing on those who uphold peer-support roles is scarce. This chapter aims to generate a deeper understanding of how adopting a peer-support role in prison can impact offenders’ experiences of imprisonment. Using qualitative interview with 17 volunteers from various programmes: prison “Listeners” (N = 6), “Insiders” (N = 5), “Toe-by-toe mentors” (N = 3), and “RAPt Mentors” (N = 3), the authors illustrate how occupying these roles contributes to meaning making and the overall process of criminal desistance