The roles, motivations, and capacities of the community in the desistance process: A case study of the Knowsley area.

This research study explores the roles, motivations, and capacities that communities within Knowsley, Merseyside, England, can play in the re-integration and re-settlement of ex-prisoners. It takes place during the time when transformations to rehabilitation are operational in practice. The research speaks to those directly involved and impacted by the success and failure of these measures to rehabilitate ex-prisoners. Speaking to these individuals serves to explore what impact this has had upon their role in the desistance processes of ex-prisoners (if any). Gaining a greater understanding of their readiness, willingness, and ability to play a role, this research can help influence how best to re-integrate and re-settle ex-prisoners. This was done through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and the narratives of those representing who are active, passive, formally, and informally involved were collected. Upon doing so, it came to be established that communities are an important factor in an ex-prisoner’s ability to desist and cease from re-offending. Having knowledge of an offender’s life histories pre-, during, and post-release, was considered to increase the potential for an individual to be motivated to play an actively positive role in the desistance processes of ex-prisoners, with the role an individual performs being influenced by their capacities in practice