Exploring how employment schemes for young offenders aid desistance from crime

Abstract

Criminological literature investigating the association between employment and desistance presents largely mixed findings. This article uses the Skill Mill employment scheme for young offenders as a case study to advance our understanding of how participating in work programmes can influence youth reoffending. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with young attendees of the scheme and their supervisors. The findings suggest that employment schemes that offer remuneration, that influence how attendees are perceived by others, that encourage friendships between individuals with a history of criminal justice involvement and that employ supervisors who manage the dynamics of the work group and support young people to change can aid desistance.

Contacto policial y conductas antinormativas en adolescentes de Argentina

“…En este sentido, las investigaciones indican que los jóvenes con menor compromiso escolar también reportan mayores contactos con la policía (Del Toro & Wang, 2022) y conducta delictiva en general (Robertson & Walker, 2018). A su vez, la deserción escolar podría haber di%cultado el acceso al mercado laboral, un robusto factor de protección frente a la delincuencia (Oswald, 2020).…”

“I’ll live better, stay away from crime”: exploring the reintegration of former prisoners into the community through a music programme

“…Supporting participants to gain transferable skills and identify and navigate employment opportunities is key for participants to lead positive lives, particularly in light of the multitude of challenges former prisoners face to securing employment and thus economic independence, for example, the stigma of having a criminal record and lack of employment history (Sheppard and Ricciardielli, 2020). There is also evidence to support the notion that employment (and the associated benefits of friendships and financial security) supports desistance from crime for former offenders (Maruna, 2001;Oswald, 2020).…”

The experiences of young offenders (aged 18–21) on protection in an Irish prison: using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)

“…This finding is supported by Ashkar and Kenny (2007) that incarceration is associated with victimisation, social isolation and inadequate rehabilitation. Research reports the importance of education/employment in reducing recidivism (Oswald, 2020) and young offenders developing prosocial relationships and building confidence in their ability to desist from re-offending (McMahon and Jump, 2017). Furthermore, Lee (2016) argues neurological studies on brain development support the harmful psychological effects of solitary confinement on young offenders and that legislation should limit its use for inmates under the age of 25.…”