Beyond the prison walls: Some thoughts on prisoner ‘resettlement’ in England and Wales

an article by Roger Moore (Formerly Nottingham Trent University) published by Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume 12 Number 2 (April 2012)

Abstract

In recent years there has been an increased focus on prisoner resettlement in government policy in England and Wales. Two contrasting trends have been evident. Post-release supervision in the form of enhanced monitoring and surveillance for offenders on statutory licence has grown significantly, while post-release support and provision for adult short-sentence prisoners has been minimalist and remains non-mandatory.

This article will examine the problematized status of resettlement in terms of: (a) differentiated meaning; and (b) policy formulation and application.

It is argued that ‘resettlement’ attracts many key assumptions and that societal expectations of what can be achieved may be ideationally and conceptually flawed. The discussion centres on both theoretical connections and uncertainties, together with the respective policy implications.

An indicative schema of ex-prisoner re-entry is outlined for further analytical exploration and critique. ‘Re-entry’, a ‘buzzword’ in the USA, is preferred for this schema rather than ‘resettlement’ which is the favoured term in England and Wales.

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