From desistance narratives to narratives of rehabilitation: Risk-talk in groupwork for addressing sexual offending

Abstract

Risk has become a dominant focus in criminal justice practice. While this can improve the effectiveness of practices for reducing offending, it can also stigmatise and create barriers for those attempting to desist from crime. To explore this apparent dilemma, we applied conversation analysis and discursive psychology to examine risk-talk in 12 video-recorded sessions of a groupwork programme for addressing sexual offending. We found both practitioners and clients oriented to notions of risk in their talk. They drew on risk-talk as a resource to construct narratives that support desistance, emphasising awareness of risks, having control, and gaining hope and agency over the future. However, risk-talk was resisted when it challenged the client’s self-presentation. Building on previous empirical and theoretical work on desistance and criminal justice practice, we found it is possible for people to incorporate aspects of risk into their personal narratives in order to weave a narrative of rehabilitation.

Co-constructing desistance narratives in probation interactions

“…Here we see the subtle conversational work practitioners and clients do to support desistance and also hold clients responsible for their actions. Using this approach, we have explored different aspects of probation-in-practice, such as how practitioners and clients respond to ambivalence and encourage desistance (Kirkwood, 2016), how shame is dealt with (Mullins & Kirkwood, 2019), how risk is incorporated into client narratives (Mullins & Kirkwood, 2022a), and how warmth and respect are enacted in practice (Mullins & Kirkwood, 2022b). Examining practice in this way helps us develop a deeper understanding of how probation practice can effect change, and can support practitioners to reflect on practice (Kirkwood et al, 2016).…”