Ros Burnett

The place of the officer-offender relationship in assisting offenders to desist from crime

For decades, the relationship between the officer and offender (variously labelled as the ‘casework relationship’, the ‘supervisory relationship’ or ‘one-to-one work’) was the main channel for probation service interventions. In the modernized probation service in England and Wales, this relationship element has been marginalized, on a policy level at least, by accredited groupwork programmes and case management approaches involving referrals to specialist and other services. However, there are now promising signs that policy makers are re-instating the ‘relationship’ between the practitioner and offender as a core condition for changing the behaviour and social circumstances associated with recidivism. This article traces the factors behind the paradigm shift from casework (in its broadest sense) to case management (more recently termed ‘offender management’) in order to identify why an element of practice once regarded as vital became discredited. It then briefly draws on findings in the mental health field and desistance research to relocate the relationship element within a practice model that is focused on supporting desistance from crime.

The kindness of prisoners Strengths-based resettlement in theory and in action

This article explores the notion of so-called ‘strengths-based’ offender reintegration for prisoners returning to the community. First, we briefly explore the normative and empirical theory underlying this approach. Next, we present evidence from a case study the authors have undertaken on a particularly interesting example of strengths-based resettlement in action. It illustrates the tensions that occur when risk-based policies collide with strengthsbased opportunities. The lessons learned in this case study are then used to develop further the theoretical understanding behind a strengths-based resettlement approach.

The Will and the Ways to Becoming an Ex-Offender

It is a decade since the United States Department of Justice published But They All Come Back: Rethinking Prisoner Reentry (Travis, 2000) and nearly as long since, in the United Kingdom, the influential report of Social Exclusion Unit (2002), Reducing Re-Offending by Ex-prisoners. Reentry (or “resettlement” in the United Kingdom) was elevated to prominence as a major issue for criminal justice policy, with attention drawn to the shocking ratio of the population being sentenced to imprisonment and the extraordinary numbers of prisoners released back into the community only to be subsequently reincarcerated following further offences or violation of parole requirements. Official reviews and academic research raised awareness of the extent to which released prisoners face multiple disadvantages and hurdles; and cross-departmental, unified strategies to meet resettlement needs were extensively promoted. However, more recent statistics of the imprisoned population and reincarceration rates in these two nations (U.S. figures are summarised in the openings to the first and third articles in this issue) provide the reality check that not much has changed. Successful reentry implies nonparticipation in crime. Research has shown that desistance from habitual criminal activity is a gradual, intermittent process involving person–structure–maturation interactions. Imprisonment is likely to set back this process, perhaps massively. The majority of prisoners have problems with one or more of the following—poverty and debt; accommodation needs; mental health problems; substance abuse issues; employment, education, or training needs; troubled family relationships—which, if they are not the result of imprisonment, are exacerbated by it. They also have to contend with stigmatisation and the institutional barriers erected against anyone with a prison record, and any help they received in prison may be undercut by having to return to a criminogenic neighborhood. Indeed, for typical prisoners, the effort and difficulty to set themselves up in the community may feel like a Sisyphean task. With sharp financial cuts and decreased employment opportunities, this situation looks set to get worse. In this issue of the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, several articles contribute to our understanding of the relevant factors that might facilitate or impede the reentry process.

The origins of the Jimmy Savile scandal

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the origins of the Jimmy Savile Scandal in which the former BBC entertainer was accused of a series of sexual offences after his death in 2011. The case has had a massive impact on UK policing and criminal justice policy and on care work, with implications for due process and public expenditure in responding to reports of sexual abuse. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on an Economic and Social Research Council funded project to collate data on the Savile case. It is based, primarily, on interview material from former pupils and staff members from Duncroft School, from whence initial allegations against Savile emanate, contrasting these with media accounts. Findings The research provides a very different picture of Duncroft and the contemporary policy context to that presented in media accounts. A questioning account of the origins of the scandal emerges. The findings may lend themselves to a moral panics analysis but also point to the power of dominant stories in influencing public policy. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on only a very small sample of interviews. The material is ethically sensitive in that it may be claimed or used to cast doubt on accounts of abuse. Social implications The implications of the wider project from which it draws are potentially profound, casting doubt on the origins and detail of the Savile scandal. Originality/value The paper addresses one of the major socio-cultural episodes in recent British history, which has had a profound effect on the workings of the criminal justice system, signalling a shift away from a presumption of innocence. It also offers insight into the cultural context of care work and the possibility, especially for males, of being subject to allegations made against them.

Building a dataset of sensitive information

Using text analysis tools to study large data sets is currently an area of popular interest. Prompted by the success of several big data research initiatives, researchers from a variety of disciplines wish to gather and analyse textual data. Communication between members of diverse teams can present a problem and developing a shared language and understanding of the task is necessary.

Reducing reoffending: Lessons from psychotherapy and counselling

Focuses on processes and interventions aimed at reducing offending and assisting offenders to reintegrate and desist from crime. A recent strand of inquiry is concerned with research on very early preventative interventions and research on risk factors. Summarises some findings on the effectiveness of psychotherapy and counselling in reducing problematic behaviour and supporting the change process.