|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
Criminology and Criminal Justice, Vol. 6, No. 1,
39-62 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1748895806060666
© 2006 SAGE Publications
A desistance paradigm for offender management
Fergus McNeill
Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde, UK
In an influential article published in the British Journal of Social Work in 1979, Anthony Bottoms and Bill McWilliams proposed the adoption of a ‘non-treatment paradigm’ for probation practice. Their argument rested on a careful and considered analysis not only of empirical evidence about the ineffectiveness of rehabilitative treatment but also of theoretical, moral and philosophical questions about such interventions. By 1994, emerging evidence about the potential effectiveness of some intervention programmes was sufficient to lead Peter Raynor and Maurice Vanstone to suggest significant revisions to the ‘non-treatment paradigm’. In this article, it is argued that a different but equally relevant form of empirical evidence—that derived from desistance studies—suggests a need to re-evaluate these earlier paradigms for probation practice. This reevaluation is also required by the way that such studies enable us to understand and theorize both desistance itself and the role that penal professionals might play in supporting it. Ultimately, these empirical and theoretical insights drive us back to the complex interfaces between technical and moral questions that preoccupied Bottoms and McWilliams and that should feature more prominently in contemporary debates about the futures of ‘offender management’ and of our penal systems.
Key Words: desistance • effectiveness • ethics • offender management • nontreatment paradigm • probation
References
- American Friends Services Committee (1971) Struggle for Justice. New York: Hill & Wang .
- Asay, T.P. and M.J. Lambert (1999) ‘The Empirical Case for the Common Factors in Therapy: Quantitative Findings’, in M.A. Hubble, B.L. Duncan and S.D. Miller (eds) The Heart and Soul of Change: What Works in Therapy, pp. 33–56. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
- Barry, Monica (2000) ‘The Mentor/Monitor Debate in Criminal Justice: What Works for Offenders’ , British Journal of Social Work 30(5): 575–595 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
- Barry, M.A. (2004) ‘Understanding Youth Offending: In Search of "Social Recognition"’, PhD dissertation, University of Stirling, Stirling.
- Bazemore, Gordon (1999) ‘After Shaming, Whither Reintegration: Restorative Justice and Relational Rehabilitation’, in G. Bazemore and L. Walgrave (eds) Restorative Juvenile Justice: Repairing the Harm of Youth Crime, pp. 155–194. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press .
- Bernsten, K. and K.O. Christiansen (1965) ‘A Resocialisation Experiment with Short-Term Offenders’, in K.O. Christiansen (ed.) Scandinavian Studies in Criminology, vol. 1. London: Tavistock .
- Blunkett, David (2004) Reducing Crime—Changing Lives: The Government's Plans for Transforming the Management of Offenders. London: Home Office .
- Boeck, Thilo, Jennie Fleming and Hazel Kemshall (2004) ‘Young People, Social Capital and the Negotiation of Risk’ , paper presented at the European Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Amsterdam, August.
- Bordin, E. (1979) ‘The Generalizability of the Psychoanalytic Concept of the Working Alliance’ , Psychotherapy 16: 252–260 .
- Bottoms, Anthony (1995) ‘The Philosophy and Politics of Punishment and Sentencing’, in C. Clarkson and R. Morgan (eds) The Politics of Sentencing Reform, pp. 17–49. Oxford: Oxford University Press .
- Bottoms, Anthony (2001) ‘Compliance and Community Penalties’, in A. Bottoms, L. Gelsthorpe and S. Rex (eds) Community Penalties: Changes and Challenges, pp. 87–116. Cullompton: Willan .
- Bottoms, Anthony and Frank McClintock (1973) Criminals Coming of Age. London: Heineman .
- Bottoms, Anthony and William McWilliams (1979) ‘A Non-Treatment Paradigm for Probation Practice’ , British Journal of Social Work 9(2): 160–201 .
- Bottoms, Anthony, Joanna Shapland, Andrew Costello, Deborah Holmes and Grant Muir (2004) ‘Towards Desistance: Theoretical Underpinnings for an Empirical Study’ , The Howard Journal 43(4): 368–389 .
- Bozarth, Jerold (2000) ‘The Specificity Myth: The Fallacious Premise of Mental Health Treatment’ , paper presented to the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, August.
- Brody, S.R. (1976) The Effectiveness of Sentencing: A Review of the Literature. Home Office Research Study No. 35. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office .
- Burnett, Ros (1992) The Dynamics of Recidivism. Oxford: University of Oxford Centre for Criminological Research .
- Burnett, Ros (2000) ‘Understanding Criminal Careers through a Series of In-Depth Interviews’ , Offender Programs Report 4(1): 1–16 .
- Burnett, Ros (2004) ‘One-to-One Ways of Promoting Desistance: In Search of an Evidence Base’, in R. Burnett and C. Roberts (eds) What Works in Probation and Youth Justice, pp. 180–197. Cullompton: Willan .
- Burnett, Ros and Fergus McNeill (2005) ‘The Place of the Officer–Offender Relationship in Assisting Offenders to Desist from Crime’ , Probation Journal 52(3): 247–268 .
- Cullen, F.T. and K.E. Gilbert (1982) Reaffirming Rehabilitation. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson .
- Dowden, Craig and Don Andrews (2004) ‘The Importance of Staff Practice in Delivering Effective Correctional Treatment: A Meta-Analytic Review of Core Correctional Practice’ , International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 48(2): 203–214 .[Abstract]
- Duff, Anthony (2001) Punishment, Communication and Community. New York: Oxford University Press .
- Duff, Anthony (2003) ‘Probation, Punishment and Restorative Justice: Should Altruism Be Engaged in Punishment?’ , The Howard Journal 42(1): 181–197 .[CrossRef]
- Farrall, Stephen (2002) Rethinking What Works with Offenders: Probation, Social Context and Desistance from Crime. Cullompton: Willan .
- Farrall, Stephen and Ben Bowling (1999) ‘Structuration, Human Development and Desistance from Crime’ , British Journal of Criminology 17(2): 252–267 .
- Garland, David (1997) ‘Probation and the Reconfiguration of Crime Control’, in R. Burnett (ed.) The Probation Service: Responding to Change, Proceedings of the Probation Studies Unit First Colloquium, pp. 2–10. Probation Studies Unit Report No. 3. Oxford: University of Oxford Centre for Criminological Research .
- Greenberg, D.F. (1976) ‘The Correctional Effects of Corrections: A Survey of Evaluations’, in D.F. Greenberg (ed.) Corrections and Punishmen. Sage Criminal Justice Annuals, vol. 8. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage .
- Hill, Malcolm (1999) ‘What's the Problem? Who Can Help? The Perspectives of Children and Young People on their Well-Being and on Helping Professionals’ , Journal of Social Work Practice 13(2): 135–145 .
- Home Office (1990) Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public. Cm. 965. London: Home Office .
- Hubble, M.A., B.L. Duncan and S.D. Miller (eds) (1999) The Heart and Soul of Change: What Works in Therapy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
- Lewis, Sam (2005) ‘Rehabilitation: Headline or Footnote in the New Penal Policy?’ , Probation Journal 52(2): 119–136 .[Abstract]
- Lipton, Doug, Robert Martinson and J. Wilks (1975) The Effectiveness of Correctional Treatment. New York: Praeger .
- McCulloch, Patricia (2005) ‘Probation, Social Context and Desistance: Retracing the Relationship’ , Probation Journal 52(1): 8–22 .[Abstract]
- McGuire, James and Philip Priestley (1995) ‘Reviewing "What Works": Past, Present and Future’, in J. McGuire and P. Priestley (eds) What Works: Reducing Reoffending. Guidelines from Research and Practice, pp. 3–34. Chichester: Wiley .
- McNeill, Fergus (2001) ‘Developing Effectiveness: Frontline Perspectives’ , Social Work Education 20(6): 671–687 .[CrossRef]
- McNeill, Fergus (2003) ‘Desistance-Focused Probation Practice’, in W.-H. Chui and M. Nellis (eds) Moving Probation Forward: Evidence, Arguments and Practice, pp. 146–162. Harlow: Pearson Longman .
- McNeill, Fergus (2004a) ‘Desistance, Rehabilitation and Correctionalism: Developments and Prospects in Scotland’ , The Howard Journal 43(4): 420–436 .[CrossRef]
- McNeill, Fergus (2004b) ‘Supporting Desistance in Probation Practice: A Response to Maruna, Porter and Carvalho’ , Probation Journal 51(3): 241–247 .[Abstract]
- McNeill, Fergus, Susan Batchelor, Ros Burnett and Jo Knox (2005) 21st Century Social Work. Reducing Re-offending: Key Practice Skills. Edinburgh: The Scottish Executive .
- McWilliams, William (1983) ‘The Mission to the English Police Courts 1876–1936’ , The Howard Journal 22: 129–147 .
- McWilliams, William (1985) ‘The Mission Transformed: Professionalisation of Probation between the Wars’ , The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 24(4): 257–274 .
- McWilliams, William (1986) ‘The English Probation System and the Diagnostic Ideal’ , The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 25(4): 241–260 .
- McWilliams, William (1987) ‘Probation, Pragmatism and Policy’ , The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 26(2): 97–121 .
- McWilliams, William and Ken Pease (1990) ‘Probation Practice and an End to Punishment’ , The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 29(1): 14–24 .
- Mair, George (ed.) (2004) What Matters in Probation. Cullompton: Willan .
- Maruna, Shadd (2001) Making Good. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
- Maruna, Shadd and Stephen Farrall (2004) ‘Desistance from Crime: A Theoretical Reformulation’ , K ölner Zeitschrift f ür Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie 43: 171–194 .
- Maruna, Shadd and Thomas LeBel (2003) ‘Welcome Home? Examining the "Re-entry Court" Concept from a Strengths-Based Perspective’ , Western Criminology Review 4(2): 91–107 .
- Maruna, Shadd, Russ Immarigeon and Thomas LeBel (2004) ‘Ex-offender Reintegration: Theory and Practice’, in S. Maruna and R. Immarigeon (eds) After Crime and Punishment: Pathways to Offender Reintegration, pp. 3–26. Cullompton: Willan .
- Nellis, Mike (1999) ‘Towards "the Field of Corrections": Modernizing the Probation Service in the Late 1990s’ , Social Policy and Administration 33(3): 320–323 .
- Pence, Greg (1991) ‘Virtue Theory’, in P. Singer (ed.) A Companion Guide to Ethics, pp. 249–258. Oxford: Blackwell .
- Raynor, Peter (1978) ‘Compulsory Persuasion: A Problem for Correctional Social Work’ , British Journal of Social Work 8(4): 411–424 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
- Raynor, Peter (2004) ‘Rehabilitative and Reintegrative Approaches’, in A. Bottoms, S. Rex and G. Robinson (eds) Alternatives to Prison: Options for an Insecure Society, pp. 195–223. Cullompton: Willan .
- Raynor, Peter and Maurice Vanstone (1994) ‘Probation Practice, Effectiveness and the Non-Treatment Paradigm’ , British Journal of Social Work 24(4): 387–404 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
- Raynor, Peter and Maurice Vanstone (2002) Understanding Community Penalties. Buckingham: Open University Press .
- Rex, Sue (1999) ‘Desistance from Offending: Experiences of Probation’ , Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 36(4): 366–383 .
- Robinson, Gwen and Fergus McNeill (2004) ‘Purposes Matter: Examining the "Ends" of Probation’, in G. Mair (ed.) What Matters in Probation, pp. 277–304. Cullompton: Willan .
- Rotman, E. (1990) Beyond Punishment: A New View of the Rehabilitation of Criminal Offenders. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press .
- Schoon, I.J. and H. Bynner (2003) ‘Risk and Resilience in the Life Course: Implications for Interventions and Social Policies’ , Journal of Youth Studies 6(1): 21–31 .
- Sparks, Richard, Anthony Bottoms and W. Hay (1996) Prisons and the Problem of Order. Oxford: Clarendon Press .
- Turner, V. (1969) The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Chicago, IL: Aldine .
- Vanstone, Maurice (2004) Supervising Offenders in the Community: A History of Probation Theory and Practice. Aldershot: Ashgate .
- Von Hirsch, Andrew (1976) Doing Justice: The Choice of Punishments. New York: Hill & Wang .
- White, William (2000) ‘Toward a New Recovery Movement: Historical Reflections on Recovery, Treatment and Advocacy’ , paper presented at the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Recovery Community Support Program Conference, Alexandria, Virginia, April.
- Worrall, Anne and Clare Hoy (2005) Punishment in the Community: Managing Offenders, Making Choices, 2nd edn. Cullompton: Willan .
- Young, Jock (1988) ‘Radical Criminology in Britain: The Emergence of a Competing Paradigm’ , British Journal of Criminology 28: 289–313 .
 CiteULike  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
M. Halsey
On confinement: Resident and inmate perspectives of secure care and imprisonment
Probation Journal,
December 1, 2007;
54(4):
338 - 367.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
