Early desistance narratives: A qualitative analysis of probationers’ transitions towards desistance

Abstract

The importance of life scripts and identity change in the desistance process has been well documented in recent years. Such scripts involve the construction of a narrative which leads the would-be desister towards a new non-offending identity. Accounts of these subjective changes are frequently regarded in the existent literature as being the culmination of the desistance process – the final phase in the journey away from crime. This article examines the role of narrative and identity change from the perspective of individuals who might be considered to be in the primary desistance phase of the journey away from crime. The article presents findings from a qualitative study of early transitions towards desistance, among a group of males under probation supervision. It is argued that identity reconstruction begins during the early phases of desistance, and recommendations are made in relation to policy and practice.