Positive Criminology

A Case for Positive Criminology: Signs of Desistance Among Prisoners

Esther F.J.C. van Ginneken, from the University of Cambridge, made a contribution to the 2012 Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, in the category “Punishment and its alternatives,” under the title “A Case for Positive Criminology: Signs of Desistance Among Prisoners”. Here is the abstract: Criminology has traditionally been a discipline with a focus on ‘the negative’, e.g. measuring and predicting dangerousness, mental illness and reoffending. A notable exception is the study of desistance, which asks why (some) people succeed, rather than fail. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the potential role of the prison experience in the process of desistance. This paper explores possible signs of desistance among prisoners, using data from 30 semistructured interviews with male and female prisoners from England. Expressions of agency and expectations about the future were used as key identifiers of the likelihood of desistance. It is shown that imprisonment can bring about positive change for some people, in particular when it is used as an opportunity for treatment and support. It is argued that interventions to promote desistance should focus more on fostering a sense of self-efficacy and optimism, rather than on reducing risk.[rtbs name=”criminology”]

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Further Reading

• “A Case for Positive Criminology: Signs of Desistance Among Prisoners”, by Esther F.J.C. van Ginneken (Proceedings)