Discussions on Desistance: A Day at the CCA Conference

Last month our CEO Shirl and COO Paula attended the Community Chaplaincy Association Conference and AGM in Westminster. The CCA is a national body supporting a nationwide network of chaplaincy projects that help reduce crime and build better futures.

The day was filled with important updates and thought-provoking talks. It was great to hear that the CCA is now in a much stronger financial position, a positive sign for the year ahead. There was also a moment of change, as Jackie Oglethorpe stepped down after six years as Chair. The Sussex Pathways team will be sad to say farewell to Jackie but extends a warm welcome to the new Chair as they take on this important role.

A particular highlight of the day was Helen Kosc’s fascinating presentation on her thesis research, They All Come Out: Mapping the Desistance Journey of 150 Prison Leavers Over 18 Months. Kosc is a Doctoral Student at the Sociology Department of the University of Oxford and has extensive experience working with, and volunteering for, Correctional Services Canada (CSC). Her insights offered a powerful look into the challenges and successes of supporting individuals through the process of desistance. Kosc's research highlights how success can be subjective, how for probation,  progress is assessed through compliance but for the men themselves success might be just making it through the day.

The presentation raised the following thought-provoking questions:

What counts as success and to whom?

Who should be judging, measuring and evaluating successful desistance?

And what, or perhaps who, are we measuring for?