Exploring forensic service users’ experience of participating in a community life skills and work-readiness programme
| Pages | 1-11 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-05-2019-0020 |
| Date | 11 November 2019 |
| Published date | 11 November 2019 |
| Author | Chloe McKenzie,Emma Tarpey |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Forensic practice,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Law enforcement/correctional,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice |
Exploring forensic service users’
experience of participating in a community
life skills and work-readiness programme
Chloe McKenzie and Emma Tarpey
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the experiences of individuals with a criminal
history of participating in a community life skills and work-readiness programme.
Design/methodology/approach –Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven individuals that
have a criminal history who were participating, or had previously participated, in a community life skills and
work-readiness programme. This data was analysed by interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Findings –Four superordinate themes emerged, these were: “need to change”,“changing identity”,“giving
back to the community”and “a sense of belonging”. These themes are discussed in relation to desistance
literature and the Good Lives Model.
Practical implications –This research identifies through the participants’narratives that engaging with the
programme appeared to facilitate the desistance process. The importance of community programmes that
provide participants skills and social integration must be acknowledged.
Originality/value –There is limited research on the experiences of forensic services users’experiences of
community programmes, especially those that are not aimed specifically at ex-offenders. The results of this
research can be used to enhance services and identify further research areas.
Keywords Offenders, Good Lives Model, Community, Interpretative phenomenological analysis,
Desistance, Identity
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The Prison Reform Trust (2018) argues that prison has a poor record for reducing reoffending,
evidenced by the recidivism rates for individuals released from prison. Reoffending data
indicate that 37.2 per cent of adults released from custody reoffend within one year of release
(Ministry of Justice and National Statistics, 2019). It has been recognised by the Ministry of
Justice (2013) that reoffending rates have remained stubbornly high for too long, and providing
individuals with a criminal history a “second chance”,isinthebestinterestsofsociety,asthis
can improve life chances (DWP and MOJ, 2016). This is reflected in the Government’saimto
support offenders to become more productive members of society (HM Government, 2005).
When supporting individuals to desist from offending, particularly when recently released from
prison, it is crucial to consider a variety of factors that influence the desistanceprocess and it is
recognised that this involves a complex interaction between both subjective and
environmental factors (LeBel et al., 2008).
The strengths-based approach to offender rehabilitation focuses on developing an individual’s
competencies and skills, which contributes to a reduction in recidivism, one such approach is the
Good Lives Model (GLM) (Fortune et al., 2012). The GLM was developed by Ward (2002) and
argues that rehabilitation should identify the external and internal conditions necessary for an
individual with a criminal history to achieve primary human goods, such as excellence in work
Received 15 May 2019
Revised 29 September 2019
Accepted 30 September 2019
Chloe McKenzie and Emma
Tarpey are both based at the
Department of Psychology,
Manchester Metropolitan
University, Manchester, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JFP-05-2019-0020 VOL. 22 NO. 1 2020, pp. 1-11, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8794
j
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PRACTICE
j
PAG E 1
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