Comparing Pathways of Desistance

“Comparing experiences and contexts of desistance in England and France, Ruwani Fernando’s fascinating book represents a significant advance in our understanding of how desistance differs in different places. But as an added bonus, her comparison of how different kinds of probation supervision influence these processes makes a valuable contribution to comparative criminal justice too. As a result, this should be required reading for anyone interested in desistance or probation studies.”

Professor Fergus McNeill, University of Glasgow

“A great text on desistance authored by French scholar Fernando. Its comparative nature (France/England), and, in the French case, with a very diverse sample, reveals that despite the extensive body of literature accumulated in recent years, much remains to be uncovered on desistance and culture.”

Professor Martine Herzog-Evans, University of Reims

"Criminological writing sometimes seems to presume that desistance a universal process that is the same regardless of context. In this fascinating comparative study between France and the UK, Ruwani demonstrates that the self-narratives that support desistance from crime are culturally specific projects that draw on the stories provided by literature, religion, and the wider culture of our societies. The implication is that if we want less crime, we need to create cultures of desistance."

Professor Shadd Maruna, Queen's University Belfast