Experts’ by Experience Perspectives on the Significance of Social Work and Social Support in Supporting the Desistance of People Released from Prison

Abstract

The article examines social work and social support among people released from prison through the experiences and perspectives of expert-by-experience with a history of crime. The study asks: What is the significance of social work in facilitating disengagement from criminal activity and reintegration into society. The study is grounded in desistance research and the CAIMeR theory (context, actors, instruments, mechanisms, results), which offers a mechanism-based approach to analysis. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focusing on social work during the release phase of 14 former prisoners. Key mechanisms supporting disengagement from crime included reflective support in rehabilitative prison units, which fostered personal transformation and confidence in the ability to change. In thirdsector organisations, peer support played a crucial role in sustaining a crimefree lifestyle after imprisonment. In municipal social work, control mechanisms were prominent, particularly in reinforcing sobriety. Expert-by-experience viewed social work broadly, encompassing various forms of social support, rehabilitation, and peer assistance. Paradoxically, criminal justice interventions appeared more readily accepted, whereas postrelease social work support, particularly its controlling aspects, created tensions between clients and professionals. The findings challenge the development of postrelease social work in a client-centred manner, integrating supportive social mechanisms, purposeful control, and peer support.