Probation, social context and desistance: retracing the relationship

This article reports on the findings of a small-scale Scottish study which drew on participant perspectives to explore the attention given to probationers’ social contexts in supporting desistance from crime. In light of findings from previous studies which suggest that recent developments in the design and delivery of effective programmes have contributed to a neglect in attention to offenders’ social contexts, this article presents a more optimistic picture whilst providing some insight into how desistance-focussed interventions can more effectively assist change in this area.