Assisted desistance and experiences of probation supervision

Abstract

The impact of probation interventions upon processes of desistance has become an area of increased interest in recent years. Much of this research has been focused upon the longer term processes of secondary desistance, often to the relative neglect of processes associated with primary desistance. Some authors have recently begun to examine in closer detail the nature of initial transitions towards desistance, and this article aims to contribute to this area of research by examining the impact of probation interventions on these early transitions. The findings show that experiences of probation can have a positive impact upon these desistance transitions yet, in keeping with much recent research, probation offers little support for the socio-structural aspects of desistance. The article concludes that these structural factors are likely to be dealt with by external agencies, but that even these may not provide the necessary support to facilitate longer term processes of desistance.