Desistance Upon Release From Prison: Narratives of Tragedy, Irony, Romance and Comedy

Abstract

Desistance research has largely revolved around the concepts of persistence in and desistance from crime, missing what happens between these two poles. The study uses longitudinal interview data from Finnish people in prison (N = 22) before and after release to elucidate the narrative development between the positions of persistence and desistance. Taking a narrative criminological approach, the article explores how the genres of romance, tragedy, irony and comedy are adopted in accounts of desistance. It challenges a static understanding of desistance, arguing that desistance narratives are more diverse than previously understood: rooted in identity, enduring the unforeseen and restricted by unfavourable realities. The findings suggest that different narrative genres give important insights into how individuals attempting to desist from crime perceive their agency.