giving back : do community service activities promote desistance from crime? reintegration puzzle...

Giving Back : Do Community Service

Activities Promote Desistance from Crime?

Reintegration Puzzle Conference Auckland 2013

Steve Graham

Department of JusticeTASMANIA PRISON SERVICE

reintegration is a process not a program

Context of the research

• Practitioner working in prison.

• Collaborating with range of NGO‘s.

• 2012: Working and studying - Masters of Criminology & Corrections thesis research project with the University of Tasmania.

• Voices of practitioners and volunteers.

• Focusing on Tasmanian prisoners’ experiences.

They all come back into society – Travis (1999)

Themes & Aspects of the research

• Role of community agencies pre-release

• Pro-social relationships open doors to change

• Community Service Activities vs. Community

Service Orders

• “We don’t want all the good work to stop”

“We have an ongoing relationship with them after they get out …”

Desistance & GenerativityDesistance: “…the long-term abstinence from criminal behaviour among those for whom offending had become a pattern of behaviour” (McNeill et al., 2012: 3).

Generativity: “concern for and commitment to promoting the next generation”; forms of meaningful giving and reciprocity (Maruna, 2010: 118).

More: See Fergus McNeill, Shadd Maruna, Stephen Farrall

The distilled wisdom of Desistance scholarship in 9 pages: http://iriss.org.uk/resources/how-and-why-people-stop-offending-discovering-desistance

Community Service Activities

Community Garden

Partner:

Risdon Vale Neighbourhood Centre and Christian Family Centre

1 garden, 3 placesSpud crop 2012Minimum garden areaThe Big paddockSecondBite’s 760 kg


Community Garden

Partner:

Risdon Vale Neighbourhood Centre and Christian Family Centre

Spud crop 2012Minimum garden areaThe Big paddockSecondBite’s 760 kg


Dog Training at Tasmania Prison Service

Partner:

Dogs Homes of Tasmania and Canine Utility Service Partners (CUSP)

Tall SeftonMedia from CUSP


Hand Made With Pride

Partner:

UnitingCare Tas,Cancer Council Tasmania, and Launceston General Hospital

teddies & baby doonasCaps and turbansTeddy with scarf


Hand Made With Pride

Partner:

UnitingCare Tas,Cancer Council Tasmania, and Launceston General Hospital

Teddies & baby doonasCaps and turbansTeddy with scarf


Bushfire Recovery Community Assistance

Partner:

Residents and farmers of Dunalley and other fire affected areas

Helping recovery efforts after the fires


Bridge & Creek Renovation, Risdon Vale

Partner:

Risdon Vale Neighbourhood Centre and Clarence City Council

Our guys made this


Bluff Restoration & Land Care

Partner:

Coastcare

Stonewall construction and environmental restoration initiatives


The Lea Scout Camp

Partner:

Scouts Tasmania

The big flying fox.Building and environmental restoration and maintenance work when the site is empty.


Artists with Conviction Annual Exhibition

Partner:

Tasmanian Museum Art Gallery and University of Tasmania

100+ entries from prisoners: photography, sculpture, glass art, painting, installations etc.

Art contributions and collaboration with staff and volunteers.


On the Mission Truck

Partner:

City Mission

Furniture pick-up & delivery


Family Visits Area Reno by Inspire

Partner:

Inspire City Church and 130 volunteers and tradies

ANZAC Day makeover: 3 days, $20,000+ donated, prisoners and prison staff working alongside volunteers130 people on site


Family Visits Area Reno by Inspire

Partner:

Inspire City Church and 130 volunteers and tradies

ANZAC Day makeover130 people on site


Taste of Tasmania

Partner:

Hobart City Council

Setting up and packing up the great food hall eating area at the Taste


Government House & Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

Partner:

Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and Government House

100 years of service and horticulture at RTBGGovernment House


Other activities in Tasmania also include:

Partners:

• Barista coffee services

• Cricket umpiring

• Football umpiring

• Educative school group tours of prison

Features of community service

activities

• New identity for prisoners

• Relationships & pro-social bonds to community

• Reverse reinvestment of community in prisoner; new opportunities (‘changing lives and life chances’) and restored sense of citizenship

• Builds/recognises human capital, work ready skills

• Not typical community service orders

“They appreciate being seen as an individual instead of a prisoner - having to do the project”

“It’s a natural thing to do these projects; the prison can [only] do so much and together we can achieve what we are after”

Community service activities

with social contexts that aid desistance

Generativity

Roles

Identity

Capacity

Hope

Opportunity

Bonds

Don’t wait for generativity to happen

• Community punishment or a desistance focussed reintegration activity?

• Qualitative measuring of my activities

For Corrections

Prioritised over the menialRelational, building legitimacyWho benefits

For Agencies

Inclusion and Real EngagementPost releaseSocial & Bridging capital

For Prisoners

Paying it backNew identitiesVoluntary, choiceHuman capitalCitizenship

Virtue doesn't happen in a Vacuum

• Moral performance of corrections

• “Prisoners can change.”

• Is casework enough to promote change?

• Not just a bridge but a journey

Summary of ‘Do Community Service Activities promote Desistance?’

1. Some CSA‘s are better at aiding desistance than others.

2. The findings of this study show that community service activities do have a positive impact at a number of levels.

3. This research challenges the notion of allowing prisoners to contribute to broad categories of community service without first measuring the potential value of the project, social and human capital and the relationships gained.

4. Need to recognise the policy implications of including community partners in reintegration planning.

5. Further questions arising from the research.

References & Contacts

reintegration is a process not a program

Department of Justice

• reintegrate.info – for reintegration & transition resources

• Discovering Desistance blog: http://blogs.iriss.org.uk/discoveringdesistance/

• McNeill, F., Farrall, S., Maruna, S., & Lightowler, C. (2012) Discovering Desistance: How and Why People Stop Offending, IRISS Insights 15 (http://www.iriss.org.uk)

• Thesis online: Graham, Steve (2012) Paying It Back: Does Community Service Activities Promote Desistance In Prisoners? Masters of Criminology & Corrections Thesis, School of Sociology & Social Work, University of Tasmania: Hobart. http://eprints.utas.edu.au/16706/2/whole-Graham-thesis-2013.pdf

• Email - [email protected]

http://reintegrate.info/

http://blogs.iriss.org.uk/discoveringdesistance/

http://www.iriss.org.uk/

http://eprints.utas.edu.au/16706/2/whole-Graham-thesis-2013.pdf

http://eprints.utas.edu.au/16706/2/whole-Graham-thesis-2013.pdf

mailto:[email protected]

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