Book reviews
| Date | 01 December 2018 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0264550518809848 |
| Author | Kathy Hampson |
| Published date | 01 December 2018 |
| Subject Matter | Book reviews |
Book reviews
Book reviews
Global Perspectives on Desistance
Joanna Shapland, Stephen Farrall and Anthony Bottoms (eds)
Routledge; 2016; pp. 304; £37.99; pbk
ISBN: 9781138851009
Reviewed by: Kathy Hampson, University of Aberystwyth, UK
Desistance from crime has become one of the most cutting-edge criminological
issues of this decade, with various definitions, constructions, and theories evolving
through a range of different research projects. This book is the result of a conference
put together by Sheffield University’s Centre for Criminological Research. The dis-
cussions drew out international differences in the way desistance is understood, and
what mechanisms might be at work for would-be desisters. These different per-
spectives have been brought together in this unique book, perhaps telling a more
complete story of desistance processes than ever before, but certainly creating a raft
of further questions to be answered. The structure of this book is helpfully laid out
both thematically and by research study, enabling the reader to gain a real taste of
how desistance is being understood in a range of different geographical locations.
It has been split thematically into three sections, dealing with the importance of
agency and structure, the impact of different life phases, and the impact of the
criminal justice system on desistance.
Chapter 1 starts in the US, with the discussions based on the Ohio Longitudinal
Study and the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study. The author, Giordano, drew
out the importance of an individual’s cognitive process in change, leading to
identity change. She acknowledges Laub and Sampson’s hooks for change (a
common theme throughout the book), but sees the effect of these as working with an
individual’s own cognitions about themselves, and their consequent actions as their
own agent of change.
Probation Journal
2018, Vol. 65(4) 453–458
ªThe Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/0264550518809848
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The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice
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