Co-producing desistance: The role of peer support

In this chapter I make the case for a co-productive approach to supporting desistance from crime, with a focus on the role of peer support. My interest in this particular mode of co-production reflects a concern to move beyond professionally-centred, individual-level and sustaining approaches to co-production, towards more inclusive, empowering and disruptive forms. I begin by providing a brief review of how co-production is understood, before describing the centrality of co-production in efforts to support desistance. From here, I examine the role of peer support in co-producing desistance, with a view to developing knowledge of how we advance peer support within this space. I conclude with optimism and caution, culminating in a call to proceed in ways that embody the integrity and potential of the modalities described.