Introduction to desistance
Content
Desistance in case supervision
Evidence summary
What we expect and what our inspections tell us about effective desistance practice
What our inspections tell us about desistance practice
What ex-service users tell us about desistance practice
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Desistance in case supervision
A core purpose of probation services is to support those under supervision in a way that reduces the likelihood that they will commit further crime. Research tells us that this can be achieved by addressing the underlying reasons why someone offended, otherwise known as criminogenic factors, as well as enhancing strengths and protective factors. Desistance is often described as a journey, influenced by someone’s circumstances, the way they think, and what is important to them. Each person’s experience is different and therefore a ‘one size fits all’ approach will be ineffective. In our inspections we assess the effectiveness of work carried out to help individuals desist from offending and provide the detail about how we approach this, including examples of where we have seen it done well, throughout this second module.
Evidence summary
Desistance
Desistance is the process of abstaining from crime by those with a previous pattern of offending. It is an ongoing process and often involves some false stops and starts – it can take considerable time to change entrenched behaviours and the underlying problems. The collated evidence suggests that people are more likely to desist when they have:
- strong ties to family and community
- employment that fulfils them
- recognition of their worth from others
- feelings of hope and self-efficacy
- a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.
The term ‘assisted desistance’ has been used to describe the role that probation (and other agencies) can play, recognising that individuals can be supported to desist from crime but there are too many factors at play for an agency to ‘cause’ desistance.
- adhering to risk, need and responsivity principles: interventions should match the likelihood of reoffending, and offending-related needs should be the focus of targeted interventions. Opportunities to provide integrated services and pathways of delivery, particularly for service users with multiple and complex needs, should be well-developed
- respecting individuality: Since the process of giving up crime is different for each person, delivery needs to be properly individualised – the desistance process is influenced by an individual’s circumstances, the way they think, and what is important to them
- recognising and developing people’s strengths: the supervision process should promote a range of protective factors and take a strengths-based approach rather than focus solely on individuals’ deficits. For example, strong and supportive family and intimate relationships can support individuals in their desistance journey
- building positive relationships: service users are most influenced to change by those whose advice they respect and whose support they value. Personal and professional relationships are key to change
- respecting and fostering agency or self-determination: this means working with service users rather than on them. Service users have highlighted the importance of real collaboration and co-production, and their engagement as ‘active collaborators’. There has been growing attention in recent years to the potential value of service users’ involvement in the review and development of probation services. Service users have reported that such involvement can facilitate self-efficacy, social benefits, professional development and desistance from further offending
- recognising the significance of social context: desistance is related to the external/social aspects of a person’s life (e.g. the supportiveness of those around them), as well as to internal/psychological factors (e.g. what the individual believes in). Giving up crime requires new networks of support and opportunities in local communities.
What we expect and what our inspections tell us about effective desistance practice
When we inspect a case, we assess the quality of work delivered in relation to engagement, desistance and keeping people safe. In doing this, we do not focus on the quality of specific documents, work products or tools. Instead we look at practice holistically. For example, when examining planning practice, we inspect the quality of the whole process, not just the quality of the written plan.
- assessment practice that focuses on the factors linked to the service user’s offending, together with an analysis of their strengths and protective factors
- planning that focuses on the factors relating to offending and incorporates and builds on the individual’s strengths and protective factors
- implementation and delivery of services that effectively support the service user’s desistance
- reviews of progress that actively support a reduction in the likelihood of reoffending.
What our inspections tell us about desistance practice
Since June 2018 we have inspected 4,548 cases in total against our domain two standards for case supervision. Highlighted below are the common strengths and challenges to effective practice relating to desistance from these case inspections:
- responsible officers identify relevant offending-related factors in the majority of cases
- service users’ strengths and protective factors are incorporated into assessments most of the time
- planning sufficiently reflects offending-related factors and tends to prioritise those that are most critical in a reasonable majority of cases
- plans and reviews usually build on service users’ strengths and protective factors
- planning work sets out the services most likely to reduce reoffending and support desistance
- the delivery of services/interventions build on service users’ strengths and enhance protective factors in a reasonable majority of cases
- reviews identify and address changes in factors linked to desistance and offending in a reasonable majority of cases.
- assessments do not sufficiently draw on available sources of information
- sequencing of interventions to reduce reoffending does not receive sufficient attention
- the work of other agencies in the delivery of services is not sufficiently well coordinated
- where appropriate, responsible officers do not engage with key individuals in the service user’s life often enough
- the level and nature of contact is only sufficient to reduce reoffending and support desistance in just over half of cases
- where needed, necessary adjustments to the plan of work are not reliably made
- information from other agencies needs to be used more effectively and purposefully when reviews are conducted.
What ex-service users tell us about desistance practice
In developing this guide, we consulted with a number of individuals who had been subject to probation supervision in the past. We wanted to acknowledge and understand their perspective of desistance and it was encouraging to find that the case examples contained within the guide support their experience of what ‘good’ looks like. Here is some of what they told us:
“Housing is the most important factor that people need help with; without somewhere to live it’s impossible for people to change. Once a person has stable accommodation you can work from there”.
“Probation officers do not do enough to look for the positives in people’s lives. It’s hard when somebody has offended but most people do have skills and strengths that can help them to change”.
“It is good to have third-party organisations to back up probation. Probation can only do so much. Having other organisations to help is important, particularly with helping people get to appointments”.
“In terms of Through the Gate, it is great when there are staff available to accompany service users to appointments once they are released. Housing appointments, for example, can last for hours and can be very challenging for the service user. Mentors really help to eliminate fears and keep the service user focused on the end goal. Having somebody to talk through the process with really helps”.
