Full Description
This book presents a comparative study of desistance from crime by analysing and comparing the narratives of English and French desisters. In doing so, it uncovers how national and structural differences may lead to varying individual pathways out of crime.
Comparing Pathways of Desistance draws on the themes of family, education, onset of offending, employment, offending, experiences and perspectives of the criminal justice system, stories of desistance, support networks, and projections into the future. In addition, this book also explores topics that are less commonly looked at in desistance studies such as ambitions of entrepreneurship and leisure activities. It examines the ways in which people make sense of their experiences of offending and desisting, identifies differences and similarities between English and French desisters, and reflects on how these differences and similarities inform us on the influences of national contexts on individual pathways of desistance.
An accessible and compelling read this book will appeal to students and scholars of criminology, sociology, desistance, politics, social policy and all those interested in the differences between English and French desisters.
Contents
Introduction: Taking Stock of the Knowledge About Desistance from Crime 2.Theoretical and Methodological Frameworks for Cross-national Comparative Research 3.Setting the Societal and Criminal Justice Contexts 4.Understanding Desisters: Looking to the Past 5.Understanding Desistance: Making Sense of Change 6.Mechanisms of Change: The Role of Support Systems 7.Experiences and Perspectives of Probation Supervision 8.What Desistance 'Looks' Like: Comparing Typical Days in the Lives of Desisters 9.Discussing the Differences: Narratives and Pathways of Desistance in England and France
