Desistance, reflexivity and relationality : a case study

This paper presents the analysis of a single life-story drawn from a larger study examining theindividual, relational and structural contributions to the desistance process. The emphasis here is on the contributions of key social relations in ‘Evan’s’ narrative of change. How people relate to one another, and what these relationships mean to them both as individuals and together, are critical aspects of understanding the role of social relations in desistance. This paper concludes by considering how penal practices might generate and sustain the kinds of social capital and reflexive, relational networks relevant to desistance

Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements: MAPPA in Scotland: What do the numbers tell us?

This briefing paper collates for the first time statistics about Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) across Scotland. The statistics presented here were originally published in individual MAPPA annual reports, which each report on a different geographic area of Scotland. The paper begins by outlining the MAPPA arrangements in Scotland and compares information about offenders managed through MAPPA in Scotland with those in England and Wales. The paper then focuses on a detailed examination of the data available about MAPPA in Scotland. The figures outlined in the paper are presented in the appendix, where all tables referred to in the paper can be found

Shaping the criminal justice system: the role of those supported by Criminal Justice Service

In Scotland, the development and delivery ofpersonalised social work services has been part of a wider public service reform agenda, building on Changing lives: report of the 21st century review of social work (Scottish Executive, 2006). This agenda has focused on harnessing the strengths, predilections, networks and capacities of those supported by services, to inform the design and delivery of services. To date, the place of criminal justice in this reform agenda has received comparatively limited attention (Weaver, 2011). This Insight focuses on the issue of involving those who have offended in shaping the criminal justice system, exploring the different models of involvement, the effectiveness of different approaches and the implications for Criminal Justice Social Work services

Understanding desistance : a critical review of theories of desistance

Informed by a comprehensive review of theories and research into desistance (Weaver, 2015), this article advances a critical and contemporary overview of the main theories of desistance, drawing on illustrative empirical research. It begins by addressing definitional issues, prior to showing how various theories of desistance differently explain the phenomena of giving up crime. The article concludes by engaging with its limitations and its relatively muted impact on policy and practice. It is argued that desistance research, and its interpretation in both policy and practice, remains very individualistic in focus, and often disconnected from specific analyses of the cultural and structural contexts in which both offending and desistance take place. In considering how this review might inform future research, the article suggests that the desistance paradigm might be enhanced by attending to contemporary critiques of its limitations. In particular, this would suggest the application of intersectional methods and analyses, analyses of divergences in desistance pathways by crime type, enhanced critical and contextualizing analyses of cultural and structural influences on desistance, and, beyond individual desistance, a focus on the challenges of social integration for people with convictions, to better inform and shape penal policy and practice

Managing high risk offenders in the community : compliance, cooperation and consent in a climate of concern

It is increasingly accepted that the change process underpinning the intended outcomes of community supervision, namely community safety, social rehabilitation and reintegration, cannot be achieved without the service user's active involvement and participation in the process. Their consent, compliance and cooperation is therefore necessary to achieving these outcomes and yet, when it comes to very high risk sexual and violent offenders, in the pursuit of community safety, control oriented, preventative practices predominate over change focused, participatory approaches. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 professionals' and 26 service users' to explore how, under the auspices of MAPPA, the supervisory process is enacted and experienced and the extent and means through which it affects people’s willingness to accept or invest in not only the process but the purpose of supervision. It is argued that how the process of community supervision is experienced and what it comprises, not only shapes the outcomes of supervision, but also the nature of consent, compliance and cooperation. We conclude by advocating for more participatory processes and practices to promote service users' active engagement in, and ownership of, the process of change, and in that, the realisation of both the normative dimensions and intended outcomes of community supervision

Reframing the Space : From a Community-Led Women's Space to a Women-Led Community Space

This is the fifth in a series of short thematic summaries in which we share what we have heard and learnt from the people that have taken part in our research into The Robertson Trust's Women’s Centre Programme. This thematic summary builds on our third thematic summary which reflected on both processes of delivery and dynamics of participation in Heart and Soul, but is designed to capture the transition from Heart and Soul (as documented in Issue 3) to Heart and Soul Hub, and thus the revised approach and divergent aims, rather than the impacts and outcomes of the original model, as previously reported. In so doing, it provides an overview of the journey of Heart and Soul from its inception, to its transition to Heart and Soul Hub, noting the changes to the physical space, governance and approach, the dynamics of participation, and its contribution to the community

Developing a Community -Led Women's Space : A Person Centred Approach

This is the fourth in a series of short thematic summaries in which we share what we have heard and learnt from the people that have taken part in our research into The Robertson Trust's Women's Centre Programme. This thematic summary reports on the development of the women's space within the pre-existing community-led organisation, 'Lochaber Hope', in Fort William. It provides an overview of the context to and operation of Lochaber Hope, and elaborates their ethos, vision and approach to delivery. Thereafter it explores the dynamics and effects of participation in Lochaber Hope, before outlining the origins, development and evolution of the women's space therein

What does social justice look like and why is it so elusive for criminalised young adults?

The study by Beth Weaver, Nina Vaswani and Trish McCulloch aimed to listen to, and learn from, young adults’ experiences and their visions of social justice in order to influence more socially just responses from our welfare and justice services