This book examines desistance from offending amongst men in County Cork – the largest county in the Republic of Ireland. It examines the bigger picture of desistance, namely how offending and recovery from addiction are inseparable processes. It draws on in-depth interviews with 40 men who had engaged with the criminal justice system, and the chapters which follow trace the participants’ life histories: from the hardships they endured as children through their recollection of their reckless teenage years into active addiction and their often numerous attempts at recovery and eventually, for most, full recovery. It challenges some of the dominant assumptions that exist around desistance, and discusses topics such as toxic masculinity. It offers a practice friendly account of the academic work on desistance and a multidisciplinary holistic account of the process of doing desistance.
Author(s): Graham Cambridge, Orla Lynch, James Windle
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 173
City: Cham
Preface
Early Life: Trauma and Masculinity
Drug and Alcohol Use
Recovery and Desistance
Contents
1 Introduction
Addiction
Recovery
Desistence
Chapter Outlines
References
2 Desistance and Recovery in the Academic Literature
Rehabilitation from Addiction and Desistance from Crime as a Duel Process
Social Identity, Desistance and Recovery
Recovery and Desistance
References
3 Cork City: Understanding the Context
The Good Times—for Some
The Usual Suspects
Conclusion
References
4 Methodology
Modified Grounded Theory
Access and Methods of Recruitment
Sample
Researcher Involvement
Ethics
References
5 Traumatic Childhood and Adolescent Experiences
Childhood Trauma
Economic Deprivation
Domestic Violence
Addiction and Parental Neglect
School
Adolescence and Teenage Years: Being Bored, Taking Risks and Rites of Passage
Role Models and Learning to be a ‘Hard Man’
Early Employment
Conclusion
References
6 Lifestyle, Offending, and Addiction
Social Identity: Self-Preservation and Masculinity
Vulnerability: Fear, Respect and Self-Preservation
Feuding
Drink, Drugs and Doing Masculinity
Learning About Drink and Drugs
Addiction and Employment
Losing Control: The Descent into Addiction
Loss of Control: Addiction, Crime and Problem Behaviours
Loss of Control: Denial, Isolation and a Shattered Identity
Loss of Control: Suicide, Self-Harm and Death
Prison: Identity Shifts and Self-Reflection
Conclusion
References
7 Moving Out of the Chaos
The Rocky Road
Identity Survival and Starting Anew
Death or Recovery
Cycles of Relapse
The Difficult Transition from Prison to the Community
Maintaining Recovery: The Reality of Social Influence and Social Bonds
All or Nothing: ‘I changed my behaviours I changed everything’
Social Bonds and Role Models
Resisting the Pull of Family, Friends and Violence
Recovery, Identity Shift and the Public Self
Role Models and New Identities
Maturity and the Journey Through Recovery
A New Identity and Talking It Out
Finding Peace of Mind, Helping Others and Living a Good Life
References
8 Conclusion
Multiple Childhood Traumas and Masculinity
Adult Offending Was Founded Within Addiction
Experiencing Rock Bottoms and the Motivation to Find ‘peace of mind’
Avoiding Gateway Behaviours
The Importance of New Relationships and New Role Models
The Importance of Community
The Role of Paid Employment
The Importance of Mental Health Care and Identity Change
Stages of Rehabilitation and Desistance
You Cannot Have Desistance Without Recovery
Changing Conceptions of Hegemonic Masculinity Can Help Both Desistance and Recovery
References
References
Index
