This paper argues for greater emphasis on desistance self-narratives in criminal justice practice. It draws together the aims and objectives of separate HM Prison and Probation Service funded research studies and related literature across different populations highlighting the common and critical underlying theme of desistance self-narrative. It is argued that attending to desistance narratives should be crucial in supporting individuals throughout the criminal justice system and importantly through the gate during the resettlement period. The recent organisational change of bringing prisons and probation together offers a timely opportunity to support this. This study aims to increase awareness of the importance of desistance narratives throughout the criminal justice system.
The paper presents the literature related to the significant of desistance self-narrative and uses the context of the authors’ separate research studies to argue for greater emphasis on desistance self-narratives within the criminal justice system. The paper presents information on the ongoing development of a tool to measure desistance self-narrative. Practice implications in relation to supporting individuals sentenced to short prison sentences and to inform the risk assessment process for individuals of any sentence length are discussed.
The significance of desistance self-narrative and an emerging scale to access narrative scripts has considerable utility to a range of individuals. Whilst the evidence base for desistance self-narrative has grown within the academic literature, the practice implications remain remiss from key opportunities with which to support the desistance process within criminal justice practice. It is argued that the tool currently in development could provide a key opportunity and vehicle to support practitioners in engaging in desistance narrative-focused interactions with people across the criminal justice system.
Opportunities for integration of desistance narrative are offered within the risk assessment process and resettlement context via practitioner psychologists and other professionals involved in supporting the transition from custody to community. This can be achieved via reviewing both policy and process, in addition to guidance for professionals. Progression of a measure of desistance self-narrative and future research to explore its utility would be invaluable in developing this important area.
The paper offers insights from distinct areas of research with a common underlying theme of the significance of self-narrative, including application of such insights into the current operating context within which to influence practice in sentence management and resettlement. This provides a platform for an emerging measure of desistance self-narrative.
